The Epic of Ganondorf Dragmire
by SashaWren
Summary: A legend is born, but not where you might think... Ocarina of Time is one of the most iconic Zelda games in the franchise, so it's my goal to draw inspiration from Gregory Maguire's "Wicked" and write a work of fanfiction, bringing the game new life. Please R&R, and let me know what you think!
1. Prologue

ILDRIN KNEW SHE was living in one of the darkest times of Hyrule. Of course, everyone knew that, but what made Ildrin different is that she saw a brighter future, one in her son. He was born to Sir Cedric, a knight of the royal family famed for his gallant deeds before the war. His ancestors played a big part in the founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule, and King Gaepora promised a great estate to him and his family for generations. It was for this reason that Ildrin knew she was better off than most of the other families in Castle Town, and even all throughout Hyrule. She wasn't even sure that there were Hylians living outside of Castle Town, but it wasn't until the Unification War that Ildrin realized she had to escape.

When Ildrin's son was born, a new princess was born to King Daltus whom he named Zelda, the royal name for all female heirs to the throne. And even though not all of these princesses were truly Hylia's mortal form reincarnated, Ildrin believed this to be a sign, a foretelling of a prosperous future for Hyrule. But the current status of the province was intolerable to raise a child, and the young mother feared the worst for her child.

"Milady, dinner's been served." Ildrin raised her head to see one of the estate's servants, Lanna, standing in the doorway.

"Will Cedric be joining me?" she asked quietly.

"Sir Cedric is at a viewing with the king, milady," Lanna said. "Need I remind you of the new princess's birthday?"

Ildrin smiled at her maid. "No, Lanna, thank you." The young round-eared girl nodded and stepped out of the room. Ildrin cast a look to the cradle beside her bed, head swimming with new thoughts of the young Hylian princess. Every family with an estate in Castle Town knew the whole history of the royal family, and knew the significance of a female heir. It was no secret that royal blood meant a connection to the Goddess Hylia, who sacrificed her immortality for the salvation of the world. Of course, the connection was becoming slimmer and slimmer through the generations, but that didn't squander the hope in Ildrin's heart that this new princess was a sign from the Goddesses themselves. A sign that the dark times of Hyrule would soon be over.

Ildrin stood from her chair by the cradle and stepped into the corridor where Lanna was waiting patiently. "Thank you for waiting, Lanna," she said, clasping her hands before her. "Please look over my son while I'm dining."

"Of course, Lady Ildrin," Lanna said, bowing and stepping into the chamber. But she turned suddenly before closing the door. "Milady, if you don't mind me asking." Ildrin paused and turned to her maid. "Have you chosen a name for the boy?"

Ildrin smiled a little. "I shouldn't make a decision without my husband's input, but I do have an idea."

Lanna nodded with a wide smile. "I do look forward to hearing his name spoken for the first time. Forgive my prying, milady."

"It's no trouble," Ildrin replied. "As soon as I speak with Cedric, I'll let you know promptly."

"Thank you very much, milady. I appreciate it." Lanna bowed her head one last time and closed the door to Ildrin's chamber.

Upon entering the dining hall, Ildrin was surprised to see a messenger waiting by her seat at the table. "Am I to take it that my doorman has let you in to see me at my own dining table?"

"Yes, Lady Ildrin," the messenger said. "Lord Ganondorf brings his condolences."

Ildrin did not sit down. The name was terribly familiar. "Lord Ganondorf?"

"He is the ambassador of the Gerudo," the messenger said. "He was at the princess's viewing tonight."

"Yes, of course," Ildrin said. "What condolences, exactly?"

The messenger bowed his head deeply, hands clasped behind his back. "That is my message, milady. A battle has broken out in the castle, and it is slowly making its way to your estate and the rest of Castle Town. Sir Cedric tried to battle off many of the rebels, but sadly, his attempts failed." He paused, giving Ildrin a chance to contemplate the news. "Lord Ganondorf fought off and killed the man who murdered your husband, and had me send the news."

Ildrin stood there for a minute, eyes never leaving the messenger's emotionless expression but thoughts never leaving her late husband and newborn son. Her jaw had set, and her brow furrowed, but she never let any other emotion aside from what looked like slight distaste reveal itself on her face. After another moment, she cleared her throat. "Thank you, messenger. Please do help yourself to a meal in the kitchen before you leave."

The young man bowed his head. "Thank you, Lady Ildrin." He departed to follow a servant down the corridor.

Ildrin then collapsed into a seat next to her now lukewarm dinner. She rested her face in her open palm, eyes still wide, feeling the raw ache of sadness clawing at her ribcage. Just as she started thinking about hope and prosperity for Hyrule, one of the most important people in her life vanished.

But she had to clear her head. The messenger mentioned that the battle was gradually making its way toward her estate, an estate that now belonged to a helpless infant who at the moment was sleeping soundly in Ildrin's chamber, unaware that his father was now a part of another realm.

Without another moment's hesitation, Ildrin stumbled out of the dining hall and up the stairs to her bedchamber. She opened the door to see Lanna placing the child back in his cradle. "Milady," Lanna said. "Are you finished your meal already?"

"Sir Cedric is dead," Ildrin breathed, surprised at the shakiness in her voice. Lanna's lips parted in silent shock. "A messenger came from the castle. Lanna we must gather up the servants and leave this place."

"Are we in danger?" Lanna asked.

"Yes," Ildrin responded, rushing toward her baby. "The battle is making its way toward the house and we must get away immediately. Inform the others of our escape and I'll care for my child." Lanna nodded and disappeared out of the room.

Ildrin gathered her slumbering child in her arms, gazing down at his smooth face. "My dear boy," she whispered, feeling the sting of tears at her eyes. But before she could mourn her child's future any longer, there was a loud noise from downstairs. Ildrin heard raucous shouting outside, another bang from downstairs. The rebels were here, and they were attempting to break down the door.

Quickly, Ildrin wound her child in multiple layers of cloth and placed him back inside his cradle. She rushed to her own wardrobe and searched frantically for a riding cloak. Once she found the dark blue garment she swung it around her shoulders, collected her baby, and hurried downstairs.

"Lanna, Ranji, do you have the others?" Ildrin said.

"They are gathering their things, milady," Lanna answered. "The messenger left for his family."

"Good," Ildrin said under her breath. The souls she had to account for were already enough. She rushed toward Lanna, holding her baby to her chest. "Lanna, I want you to listen to me." The maidservant held her breath, nodding vigorously. "You and Ranji must take the others away from Castle Town. Set up camp in the Field, if you must. But please promise me that you will leave this house, and Castle Town, behind you."

Lanna blinked, frozen by the immense task set before her. "What about you?"

"I have to take my son far from the reaches of this place," Ildrin said. "He is not safe here, and I cannot bring him up in the wilderness. We need to find a new home."

Lanna's eyes brimmed. "Lady Ildrin, it's a madhouse out there!" she protested. "I can't let you travel alone."

"You needn't worry about me, Lanna," Ildrin insisted. "I will take Cedric's horse and we will flee this place. Promise me you will leave with the others!"

Lanna clamped her mouth shut for a moment, face set in an expression of frustration and terror. "I promise," she finally said. Ildrin kissed the maid's forehead and turned on her heel.

"Oh, and Lanna," she called behind her. "The boy's name is Link."

Lanna smiled temporarily. "After the Hero of Time, milady?"

Ildrin only smiled and made her way for the stables.

Cedric's horse was a light-colored Clydesdale, a beautiful mare named Ylia. Ildrin saddled and bridled the creature before a loud creaking sound came from her right. She turned swiftly, clutching her now awakened son to her torso.

"A lady!" came a voice from above. "And a fine one too."

Many cackling men stalked into the stable, clutching swords and shields and unknown armor. Ildrin backed away from them as another man jumped down from a hole in the stable roof, landing just behind the new mother. They snickered to themselves, planning a terrible fate for the same woman who was eyeing up a pointed stake leaning against the stable wall. But she thought of the child held tightly to her breast and was filled with a new determination. Resolute on getting her son out of the town, she swiftly mounted Ylia and pulled the reins taught. The horse bucked and whined, kicking her front hooves out from underneath her. The men dodged the shoed hooves, crying out in frustration. With skilled practice, Ildrin tugged on the reins and sent Ylia galloping out of the stable. She had just barely made it around a bale of hay when a sharp pain erupted from her left lung, spreading through her entire torso. One of the men had launched a pointed spear in her direction, piercing through her back.

Gritting her teeth, Ildrin rode on, down the path to the Castle Town Market where she had Ylia jump the low fence to the inner courtyard. They galloped through the drawbridge just in time for baby Link to start letting out a fierce caterwaul of discomfort. Ildrin tried to keep her torso as still as possible, a difficult task atop a galloping horse. She barely had enough consciousness to notice the cracking thunder above her head and the spitting rain from the clouds. The drops masked the tears that fell from Ildrin's face as she looked down at her squirming, crying baby. But she gritted her teeth and rode on, all the way across Hyrule Field until night began to settle in the province.

For fear of the strange men following her, Ildrin directed Ylia deep into the woods. She paid no attention to the howling wolfos or even the Deku scrubs that surrounded the area. They would not harm if her if she was too quick. On and on they rode, until Ylia's strength wore down as well as Ildrin's. As the horse slowed to a stop, the Hylian lost grip on the reins and saddle and tumbled to the ground; thankfully, she thought, she still had enough in her to protect Link from suffering any damage.

The baby lay in his bundle, crying, and now soaking wet. Ildrin lay beside him, watching his every move with a motherly intensity. "My son…"

"You are Hylian, from the city."

Eldrin put energy into looking up. No one stood before her except for one of the largest trees she'd ever seen. Not only was it large, however, it bore a face, one that made her think of the elders of the royal family.

"Yes," she replied shakily.

"I am the Great Deku Tree," came the same voice, a voice Ildrin determined to be the enormous tree before her. She was only fifty percent sure, aware that her current state could be causing strange hallucinations. "I watch over and protect the Kokiri Forest."

"Please," Ildrin croaked, placing a hand over her son's wet bundle, "whoever you are. If you watch over this forest, then watch over my son, Link."

What little the tree could show of emotion changed into a face of stolidity. The great face made no response for several fearful moments. Ildrin felt sobs wrack her body. Her eyes fluttered as a numb darkness spread through her mind.

"Yes," the Great Deku Tree finally answered, "I will watch over the Hero of Time reborn." Ildrin's eyes closed, and she tumbled into a wakeless sleep.


	2. The Birth of a King Pt 1

**28 years earlier...**

THE PEOPLE OF the Gerudo desert were, as the higher classes of Castle Town took pleasure in naming them, cultural mutts. Only the pure Gerudo were female, which made pureblood Gerudo incredibly rare; thus the dark-skinned fiery-haired desert women had to make do with the Hylian and human travelers that wandered into the sandy region and lost their way in the swirling dust. The people of Hyrule often clung to the stereotype that the Gerudo women captured their male counterparts, did their business, and then exiled the men into the hot, dry desert for them to wander helplessly to their deaths with no food or water. The validity of these stereotypes was questionable, since not many people dared venture anywhere near the Gerudo Desert who hoped to live to tell the tale.

Of course it wasn't their fault that the pure Gerudo population consisted solely of women; their elders and soothsayers claim that an ancient evil cursed their race to die out gradually and miserably, providing them with one male descendent every hundred years. The Gerudo made do, however, living resignedly with the mix of desert people and Hylian.

Years went by and "Gerudo" was no longer a term for a race, but for a tribal people. Pure Gerudo simply did not exist anymore, and the term was attached to the city outside the desert, not the race. The Gerudo had to settle with being called Hylians, although their connection with the ancient goddess was more or less nonexistent.

Ezerella often dreamed that she would be swept away by a Hylian prince straight from the courts of Hyrule Castle. It was rumored that he had a son, and Ezerella's heart leapt at the news. But years went by and no such handsome knight appeared in the midst of the Gerudo Desert.

The Gerudo maiden had shockingly red hair with deep brown skin and amber-colored eyes. Her looks were not above par, but not below it either, and she didn't even have the fighting spirit of the Gerudo warriors. Upon refusal to take up in the Gerudo warrior fleet, Koume Dragmire, the tribe's princess and leader at the time, positioned her as a sentry atop one of the many looming towers. It was Ezerella's one and only job to spot intruders as soon as they crested the horizon and swiftly inform Koume's attendants.

For a young girl with a heightened imagination and a tendency toward romanticism, Ezerella found the task incredibly boring. She stood alone at the top of a shaded tower, gazing at the soaring turrets of Hyrule Castle. She imagined the city beneath it, Castle Town, bustling with handsome men, slender women, playful children with their toys and games. There was certainly nothing wrong with her Gerudo heritage; she had a mother and sister whom she loved dearly and would not leave for the world. But her heart ached for something beyond the sentry tower, something beyond the sedentary lifestyle that was assigned to her.

Although Ezerella had no idea what caused her inattentive stupor, it was clear that her daydreaming caught her up in some sort of fantastical reverie just as a lone traveler made his way across Hyrule Field, a steed of deep ebony bringing him closer and closer to the mountains bordering the desert. His handsome features suggested he was in his twenties at least, although his hair was of a shimmering silver that flashed white in the glare of the sun. The traveler's cloak around his shoulders was a deep royal cobalt, covering a tunic of blue and gold. His boots were made of dodongo leather, bleached a pale brown from years of exposure to sunlight. But his most striking accessory, which brought Ezerella straight out of her reverie, was a white feather tucked into a band around his head, so large and wispy that Ezerella was sure it had to have belonged to one of the ancient birds given as gifts from the Goddess to her precious Hylians. It was also this feature that stopped her from immediately sending word to Koume about the traveler's presence, and that caused her to climb down from the sentry tower and rush over to the main gates herself.

"Just where do you think you're off to?" another guard shouted as she pushed by. She gave no reply, walking swiftly through the marketplace and across the main bazaar's dusty center. When she finally reached the main gates, open during the day, the traveler had already covered an impressive distance and was passing through the mountainous ridge. Ezerella spun around to cast an anxious glance at the guards pacing the main bazaar, who hadn't yet noticed the encroaching horseman. Her mind raced. She couldn't temporarily steal a horse from the stables without being noticed, but she couldn't run out into the open valley to meet with a strange traveler bearing crests dissimilar to those of Hyrule. Was he from a bordering country, one that Ezerella had only heard faint whispers about from the wanderers that the Gerudo women took in.

Without thinking, the sentry tied her facial sash around her mouth and nose to keep sand out of her breath and rushed outside the Gerudo walls. Growing up she had never had the chance to practice the stealth magic most of the warriors knew, but she made do with the billowing sands to conceal her. The horseman had already made it past the ridge and was slowing his steed, who was finding the shifting sands difficult. As he dismounted, Ezerella noticed a bundle of saddlebags strapped to the horse's load. Perhaps the traveler had been looking for a place to stay.

Ezerella wasn't even sure why she had been determined to hide the wanderer's presence, but she hurried over to him nonetheless. As the sandy wind thinned out by the base of the mountains, she could see his face more clearly. His eyes were the pale blue of the sky and his facial features were so strikingly handsome that Ezerella couldn't look away. The man gave her a polite smile and curt nod.

"Hello," he said, voice deep and yet soft. "Are you a member of the Gerudo tribe?"

"Our leader is very strict on visitors," she said simply. "You must follow me."

The stranger grabbed his horse's reins and coaxed it through the sand as he followed Ezerella down a side path around the tribe's walls. "What is your name?" he asked.

Everything in Ezerella's common sense told her to keep silent until they reached the inner city. But her heart seemed to stop for this mysterious man and she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "Ezerella Loradire," she answered quietly. "I am a sentry of the Gerudo."

The man nodded. "I am Link of the North," he said in response.

Although Ezerella's expression remained stoic, she smiled inwardly. The name was so common among the Hylians that it had even bled into the Gerudo; some women had named their children Linka after the legendary Hero of Time.

"This here is Wrana," Link said, patting his horse's flank with a charming tenderness. "She was my father's before mine, and has served me well."

Ezerella glanced sideways at the mare's beautiful black pelt and ochre eyes. In the sunlight, the horse's irises almost glimmered a ruby red.

"She can remain in the stables during your stay," said Ezerella.

"May I ask where we are going?" Link said.

"If you want to avoid an endless trial on whether or not the Gerudo can trust you, Link of the North, we have to enter inconspicuously. Luckily my quarters are near the city wall so I know of many secret entrances."

"Don't you think it unwise to show a stranger in through a secret entrance?"

Ezerella cast Link an apprehensive look, which almost immediately melted into a compassionate one at the stranger's friendly, welcoming gaze. "You haven't given me reason to be distrustful."

"Bold," Link said, a smirk on his lips. "How exactly will I sneak Wrana into the city?"

"I will take care of that." The two quieted while journeying through the sandy wind just outside the Gerudo walls. Ezerella was surprised that other sentries hadn't yet noticed them, but she didn't voice her concerns and continued onward. Once they reached a section in the wall where two or three stones seemed loose, they stopped. "There's a secret door here," she called over the roaring winds. Kicking along the ground toward the wall, the bricks pushed inward to reveal an intentionally-placed entrance into the back alleys of the lower class quarters. They stepped inside and Ezerella quickly reclosed the entrance. "Leave your horse here," she whispered. "No one will find her. I will take her to the stables once we get you situated."

Link followed the Gerudo sentry through the twisting corridors and up several flights of ornate stone staircases until they reached a room with the name "Loradire" inscribed on the door. Ezerella pressed a stone from around her neck into the door handle and it opened, revealing a quaint, single-room apartment with a small hearth in the center and a bedroll off in one corner. "Wait here while I see to your horse," Ezerella said authoritatively.

"If you are in possession of any carrots, they are her favorite," Link said with a smile.

Ezerella nodded, and the smallest of smiles perked her lips before she turned away to retrieve Wrana.


	3. The Birth of a King Pt 2

EZERELLA COULD NOT explain the events of the following days, weeks, months. When she had brought Link's horse to the stables, she had stripped her of reins and saddle. She told the stableman that the mare had been found galloping from the Field toward Gerudo Valley, and the keeper took her in willingly. Ezerella convinced Link that going out to the bazaar would not be a problem, as long as he acted like he'd always been there. The village, more of a city, was large enough for people to be unfamiliar.

The two of them decided to purchase a common Gerudo delicacy from a marketplace vendor. Ezerella had asked for some pastries, and the vendor replied, "How many dear?"

"Two, please," she replied.

The vendor gave her a look that hinted at judgment, remarking somewhat rudely that she must be rather hungry to spend her money on two pastries. Ezerella and Link walked away, and although the girl was rather confused, Link made no comment on the situation.

The days continued this way, and Ezerella returned to her duty as a sentry. Link kept saying he couldn't stay long, but ended up setting up a small kiosk selling his personal carvings—masks, small statues, tools, anything anyone asked him for. The business was doing so well that he stayed for much longer than he had initially stated.

He also became quite a display for the women. Being one of the only men in the whole city, many of them flocked to his tent merely to pass yearning glances and comment on his interesting clothes. Although he was quite the reserved gentleman, Ezerella caught him showing off on occasion.

Now that Link was becoming well-known to the Gerudo, problems arose when Ezerella felt her heart flutter in his presence. She was of the lowest class in the tribe, thanks to her refusal to become a warrior. Lower class women of the Gerudo were not allowed to choose men that the upper class women found interest in. It was a matter of blood—and the constantly looming possibility of the woman yielding a son. The last Gerudo king lived nearly a century ago, which meant the birth of a son was in the near future. Any other time and Ezerella could have possibly gotten away with courting Link, but with the prospect of a male Gerudo hanging over the tribe's shoulders, she would be sentenced to death if she birthed him.

Koume herself, surrounded by a guard of three warriors, ventured from the confines of the Gerudo Palace one day in search of Link. She found him in his tent carving away at a mask with an interestingly-shaped blade. Ezerella was taking her midday break as a sentry and had come to visit him. As Koume neared them, the surrounding people began bowing their heads respectfully, causing Ezerella and Link to look up. "Stand," Ezerella whispered as she ducked her head. Link did so and bowed deeply at the waist, blue eyes resting on Koume.

The Gerudo princess was undoubtedly beautiful, and Ezerella felt her stomach churn. Her burgundy, wavy hair stopped at her waist, held back by a blue headband that dangled jewels in front of her golden eyes. Her tan-skinned face was partially concealed with a sheened veil of blue that connected to the headband above her slightly pointed ears. Robes of blue and black blanketed her shoulders, protecting her skin from the harsh rays of the sun.

"Link of the North?" she said with a slightly lifted chin, eyes scrutinizing her guest.

Link straightened and nodded at the princess. "Your Highness," he said. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Koume's gold eyes flashed with amusement. "I am at quite a loss," she said, voice like velvet. "Usually visitors come to me before setting up shop and making a life amongst my people." Her eyes flitted toward Ezerella for the briefest of moments.

"It is my fault, Princess," Link said. "I should have come to you sooner."

Koume tilted her head to the side slightly, eyeing Link carefully. "I must say, normally my patience would be quite tested and I would dispose of you immediately." She smirked. "But your presence seems to delight my people." The women around them giggled girlishly and Ezerella felt her jaw set against the tension. "I must ask that you take to learning the etiquette of the Gerudo before furthering your stay."

Link nodded. "I have already learned much from my dear friend, Ezerella."

Ezerella felt her stomach lurch. It wasn't as if she'd done anything wrong, but now that Koume knew of their friendship she would stop at nothing to end it, even if it meant exiling the Gerudo.

Koume's cold eyes didn't leave Link's handsome face. "I assure you that you can learn much more from our more learned women."

Ezerella felt the warmth seep from her body, even in the intense desert heat. All eyes were between her and Link, and she wanted nothing more than to run and hide from their scrutinizing glares.

Link simply bowed his head in response, and Koume nodded satisfactorily. "I formally welcome you, Link of the North, into the Gerudo tribe," she announced. "Please make yourself at home." With that, the princess turned on her heel and returned to the palace.

The women slowly dispersed, still giggling and chattering about the occurrence. Link merely sat back down on the roll beneath the tent and returned to his carving.

"I should get back," Ezerella said, fastening her veil.

"She did not seem all that interested in you," Link said suddenly, examining an indentation on his mask.

Ezerella paused, looking down at him. "I'm not very significant in the eyes of the court."

"You are significant in the eyes of me," Link said softly, looking up at her with smiling eyes. Ezerella said nothing and left the bazaar toward her sentry tower.

Days passed and many women had professed their interest in Link. He always expressed how flattered he was but kindly turned them down, explaining that he was not there for such purposes. He was given his own quarters on the other side of the city in the upper class region, but he would often spend time with Ezerella in her small room by the hearth. Eventually she asked him a question she had been dreading and anticipating for weeks. She asked him where he'd come from.

"The north," said Link as if it was the only possible explanation.

"But where in the north?" Ezerella insisted. "The only further north you can be in Hyrule is the City of Stone, and you don't look like a Goron to me."

Link smiled, tucking a lock of fiery red hair behind her ear. "I wish I could tell you," he said quietly. "I am not from Hyrule, but I am Hylian."

Ezerella was not content with his answer, but smiled. "Clearly you are not from Hyrule since you seemed to know nothing about the Gerudo before you arrived."

"But I know now," Link said, face inches from hers. "And I know that no matter what happens, no matter what the Gerudo princess does, I will always be yours."

Ezerella wasn't entirely caught off guard by the words, but she did feel her heart leap at his proximity.

The tension of wrongness hanging over their heads like a palpable viscosity, the two of them pressed onto Ezerella's bedroll. The Gerudo exclaimed many times that they shouldn't be together followed by a stream of kisses down Link's bare chest, but the strange Hylian paid no attention. He pressed against her hungrily, sweat rolling off their bodies and onto the matted floor. He tasted the salt on her skin and felt her lips on his, crying out to each other in pleasure. In that beautiful, frozen moment, Ezerella couldn't possibly begin to regret her actions. However the moment ended and reality swarmed her senses, and everything began to dawn on her. Suddenly regret ebbed the wonderful sensations until her heart was pounding from anxiety, not excitement.


	4. The Birth of a King Pt 3

THE JOY THAT Ezerella had felt over those past months seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye when she discovered, with an intensity that never seemed to subside, that she was going crazy. Her current state of pregnancy was certainly an indication of Link's presence in her life, but no explanation could be found as to why that mysterious man seemed to pass unnoticed in the eyes of the other Gerudo. Ezerella herself couldn't even place an exact memory of Link, but she still remembered the wonderful way he made her feel. She also found herself gazing downward at the massive lump of her belly, remembering that fateful night when Link simultaneously became Ezerella's world and vanished from it. It was only days afterward that she remembered a trace of his presence, as if she had been remembering a hazy dream, or something that happened too far in her past to fully recall. She had asked numerous people where that mysterious Hylian had gone to, but none could recollect a silver-haired traveler at all. It was as if the memory of Link's duration in Gerudo Valley remained only in Ezerella's faded retention.

Ezerella was beginning to doubt the Hylian ever existed, or maybe did only in her dreams, until she missed one of her moon days. At first she wrote it off as a mere irregularity, until she missed the next one as well. Panic settled in the pit of her stomach when the third one came around and still, no blood. She spent the following days in a hazy stupor, going about her daily tasks with mechanical lethargy. The only explanation for such an event was this unknown Hylian character, who at this point in her memory was nameless. In a fit of panicked anxiety, Ezerella sought to speak to Princess Koume. Surely she would remember the passing of a traveler through Gerudo Valley.

She pleaded with the palace guards, lying that there was a shielded nomad wandering through the desert and that she needed to speak with Koume immediately. She entered the Gerudo headquarters, taking only the briefest of moments to admire the ornate relief work of the walls. Retired weapons, long spears with blades attached, curved swords, hung from the walls in crossed formation, below the red flag of the Gerudo military. In the center of a wooden floor was an elaborate chair, somewhat of a throne, where Koume sat and spoke to one of her personal guards.

Ezerella dropped down to one knee and dipped her head in a low bow. "Your Highness, I have urgent news for you," she said, praying to the goddesses that the princess couldn't detect the dread in her voice.

Koume waved a hand in dismissal to the guard, who left to return to her station outside the other door. Ezerella was thankful for the privacy. "Explain yourself," Koume said with a calm patience.

Ezerella straightened and stood before the princess with sweaty hands clenching the folds of her pant legs. "I actually have a question for you, my Lady."

A flicker of annoyance flashed across Koume's face. "Do you think I am here to answer every peasant's questions?" she said coolly.

"It's of the utmost importance, my Lady," Ezerella insisted. "Regarding a male visitor."

Koume shifted slightly in her chair as she considered Ezerella with a mixture of impatience and curiosity. "Well then, spit it out."

"You see, everything in my memory and in my common sense tells me that there was a visitor," Ezerella began. She told Koume of this nameless figure in her dreams that stayed with the Gerudo for months. "I was wondering if you by any chance remember a recent traveler come to stay with the Gerudo."

Koume's expression remained emotionless as she gazed at a point somewhere beyond Ezerella's form. "You have come," she finally said, "to inform me of a male presence in your dreams?"

Ezerella felt a pang of fear quicken her heartbeat. "Not at all," she said quickly. "I'm asking if this visitor was ever a real traveler come to the Gerudo Valley."

"If this visitor did indeed exist at some point," Koume said icily, "do you not think that someone would have remembered him besides you?"

Ezerella had been hoping to avoid the subject, but she now realized that it was inevitable. "My Lady, you see, there had to have been a male traveler in our midst," she pleaded.

"Why so?"

"How else would I have become pregnant?"

Koume sat straight immediately, stone-like face settling into an unyielding emotionless stare. Her fingers tightened around the scepter in her right hand, which she held erect throughout the whole conversation. "That is not possible."

Ezerella knew she was entering dangerous waters. "It's true," she said in a shaky voice. "I have already missed three moon days and feel a constant nausea in my stomach. If no such traveler ever existed, how has this come to be?"

Koume inhaled, once again gazing past Ezerella's pitiful form. "I do not know what you wish of me."

Another pang of fear. "Your Highness, there has to be a reason for—"

"I would remember a male visitor within the past year," Koume interrupted, the heated sound of anger building in her velvety voice. "Your becoming pregnant is clearly not an issue of my remembrance but of your promiscuous lifestyle. Surely, three months ago, you left the city to join a trading caravan and somehow became involved with a man along the way. I certainly hope that this child will not exhibit any unusual traits for a Hylian, such as Zora flippers or Goron skin. And I certainly, above all else, hope for your sake that the child is indeed female. Now cease bothering me with your insignificant, inconvenient troubles and leave my presence."

Ezerella hadn't quite known until that point what it was like to feel hopeless. But as she left the palace, escorted by two higher guards, there was an almost pleasant sense of pointlessness about her. Her steps were buoyed by a carefree feeling that she would slip away into some unknown and never return. She obviously couldn't be sure that her child would be female, but she realized that even if it was, her life couldn't possibly get much worse.

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><p>The stories of the birth of the Gerudo King have varied throughout the ages, but there are certain truths that remain in each of them. For instance, it's true that Ezerella was forced to give birth by herself in her tiny little apartment, with only the warmth of the hearth to welcome her child into the world. She waited the first few hours of the child's life before checking its sex, enjoying the pure and unadulterated sensation of motherhood. The baby had dark skin like herself with a thick head of matted, red hair. The child looked like the spitting image of its mother, and even if Ezerella could begin to recall its father's looks, she was sure she wouldn't find many of his traits in the baby's features.<p>

It is also true that when Ezerella eventually did take deep breaths to calm her nerves and check the baby's sex, she simply smiled. She had no idea how she would've reacted to a son beforehand, but when the baby's anatomy was revealed she, in hindsight, realized that it didn't matter. The child was hers, and even if Koume took it into her care, nothing could change the fact that Ezerella was the birth mother.

One version of the story claims that Ezerella threw her son into Koume's arms and pleaded for her life, but anyone knowing anything of Ezerella would argue otherwise. The truth is, the Gerudo sentry simply walked straight into Koume's quarters with the bundle in her arms. The guards, in a puzzled frenzy, didn't attempt to stop her but only followed her anxiously. Once in the princess' presence, Ezerella didn't stop or bow or even dip her head in acknowledgement. Instead she tightened her grasp around the bundle and announced very plainly that his name, after the once highly reverend God of a Gerudo folktale, was Ganon.

After that is a general consensus that Ezerella made no attempt at escape or struggle. Koume ordered the guards to seize the baby and the mother, whose name, until the day she died, she could not remember. The baby was taken to a hidden chamber and Ezerella was taken to an even more secretive place, a place that many of the Gerudo villagers considered to exist only in the myths of their ancestors. And when Ezerella laid her eyes upon it, another smile played about her lips.

The Arbiter's Grounds, known to be a prison of the damned where the chained captives were dragged directly to the underworld via a mirror, was just as, maybe more ornate than the Gerudo Palace. It seemed to exist in a realm of the in-between, only accessible during the transitional hours of the day. The spirits of those once chained within its walls lingered in the air, but Ezerella only smiled.

The final truth that resides in all of the stories is the one of Ezerella's last moments in the realm of the living. When the Gerudo guards chained her within the tomblike chambers, one heard her whisper into the fading light, "Hello, my love," before they departed. They recounted the sound of a Poe's laughter while crossing the desert back to the city.

Koume had been pacing her bedchamber back and forth, one hand covering her thin lips in a very pensive expression. Had it been exactly one hundred years since a Gerudo warrior gave birth to a son? Was this new boy, this Ganon, to be the next ruling King of the Gerudo? She had to act quickly, for her people still hadn't discovered the existence of a possible new king.

The princess was indeed torn. If this bastard of a child were to be the next king, she would be damned for the rest of eternity for getting rid of it. But to accept the fact that the lowest peasant within her walls was the birth mother was simply not something Koume could tolerate. And there was certainly no way she could convince her people that the baby was of her own descent.

Koume made a quick decision to bring the baby as far away from the valley as possible. If he were the true king, he would find his way back and claim the throne. But if he were simply another bastard child of some Hylian outside the desert, then he would be so for the rest of his life.

Nodding to herself on the plan, Koume turned and entered the room where the baby boy was crying. His pained expression hinted at a longing for his mother, and Koume looked down on him with something quite new in her heart: sympathy. She lifted the bundle to her chest, hushing at first with a sense of anxious urgency. But as the baby quieted, the hushing turned into a soft cooing and the princess lightly cradled the baby in her arms. "Little Ganon," she whispered on occasion, brushing a long finger against the boy's cheek. It became apparent to her in the following moments that she could not simply leave a baby Gerudo at someone's doorstep. No, this baby would remain with her.

Her first instinct was to rename him, give him a fully royal name and not the name of some dead, unknown fairy tale. But Ganon had a strong sound, and she had already begun referring to him as "Little Ganon." So Koume remembered her mother's name, the princess before her, Dorfina. The name always sounded rather elegant to Koume, and she found the combination of strength and elegance quite appealing. A smile in her eyes, the princess whispered, "Ganondorf Dragmire," and brought the new king's forehead to her lips.


	5. The Birth of a King Pt 4

(Hello reader(s)! So here's the thing. I have a good amount of this written already and I'm fiddling with the ordering of it all. I want to know what you think about my switching perspectives like this. Also, I just want to know your thoughts. Should I post everything I have written so far, or update steadily? Which would make the story more appealing to new readers? I really want to make this great, and something all Zelda fans can enjoy. So please R&R and let me know! I appreciate it. (: Enjoy!)

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><p>SARIA LEANED OVER the small blossom with an inquisitive expression, releasing a slight "hmm" as the Kokiri villagers around her practically trembled in anticipation of her diagnosis. The blossom was peeking out of a swaddle of green leaves, its tiny pink petals reaching out for the sunlight. It vaguely resembled a Deku flower, one of the cunning hiding places of western Deku tribe. But it had grown—seemingly overnight—in one of the meadows of Kokiri Forest, a mysterious maze-like ground known as the Lost Woods.<p>

What puzzled the Kokiri the most was that the Lost Woods (and most of Kokiri Forest in general) was known for its extremely curious and perplexing trait: it was timeless. Once anyone stepped foot into the underbrush of the Kokiri's domain, his body clock ceased and all of time remained trapped in a halted state. It was incredibly bewildering to even the most renowned of Hyrule scholars, but nothing could be said for the forest's timeless existence. It just simply was how things were.

Of course, with a timeless bubble surrounding the Kokiri Forest and its inhabitants, this meant nothing ever grew, and nothing ever died of a life well-lived. It became a legend that a wandering sorceress entered the forest with her twelve children and cast a spell on it to prevent her children and herself from ever aging. The sorceress, however, longed for the luxuries of her home in the city and ventured out of the forest with her eldest child, a young girl named Kokiri. The girl died as soon as she left the forest, and the mother knew her spell had been much more powerful than she had anticipated. Angry with herself, she returned inside the forest only to find that her children had no longer recognized her, that time had moved too quickly outside of the forest. When the mother left again she died, and her remaining children called their home the Kokiri Forest after their deceased sister.

As with many legends, there were many twists and turns that didn't entirely make sense with Hyrule scholars. For instance, the Kokiri, although maintaining a child's height, did bear the appearance of a grown Hylian. They were strangely smaller people, and it is believed that they truly originated from the ancient Picori tribe, a race of miniscule people that could only ever been seen by obedient children.

The strange timelessness of the Kokiri Forest raised another question: how did they reproduce? Nothing ever grew within the forest boundaries, so it could only be that the Kokiri simply appeared as they were. Indeed, the Kokiri rise from Deku flowers when they're "born" and continue on as if they'd been there forever. Scholars believe that the venomous and carnivorous Deku Babas evolved from Deku tree seedlings, only placed in the forest to maintain the Kokiri population. The Kokiri refuse to believe such a theory, since they worship the Great Deku Tree and couldn't possibly believe their enemies spawned from its seeds.

So here lay the question that was puzzling Saria so greatly: what was this blossom doing here? The Kokiri had only ever seen blossoms in books and were told that the Great Deku Tree once bore beautiful blossoms during the spring. But once the seasons stopped and time seemed to slow down, blossoms never occurred anymore since the flowers never died.

"It appears to be a young flower," Saria mumbled, placing her hands on her hips.

A wave of anxious whispers flowed through the crowd surrounding her. They didn't know the deeper truth behind Saria's concern; the wise female Kokiri was the soothsayer of her people, and thus could speak with the Great Deku Tree in her dreams. It hadn't been too long ago (or so it felt) when the Great Deku Tree told her of a darkness overcoming all of Hyrule, and that when that darkness comes, the ageless forest will begin to die. It was a prophecy that had woken her in the middle of the night, body wracking with tremors that would not cease for several hours. She hadn't told anyone of the prophecy besides the village leader, Mido. He had agreed to keep the dream from his people until they truly needed to know.

"Now I don't want anyone to panic," Saria called, turning to face the huddle of people. Her short cut of green hair glinted in the dappled sunlight, the teal headband of a soothsayer marking her role of wisdom. "Listen to me. This blossom means nothing. I'd like you all to return to your daily business and to not worry." She finished her speech with a warm smile, clasping her hands together. The Kokiri muttered their resigned acceptance and dispersed, returning to the village center.

From the disappearing crowd, Mido stepped forward and approached Saria with a solemn expression on his face. "Anything for learned ears to hear?" he asked quietly.

Saria looked up at him gravely. "We mustn't look into it," she said distractedly. Her mind's eye was filled with visions of the death of the Great Deku Tree. "Nothing is dying here—merely growing."

"But growth is accompanied by death," Mido said, jaw set. "Hyrule is in danger, and it is time to let the Kokiri know."

"Please, Mido," Saria said. "If we tell them now, it will get their minds racing with fear. The forest has not even begun to die, so there must still be time. If there is a way to stop this, we should look into it before telling everyone."

Mido looked concerned, but eventually nodded. "All right. We will wait. But the first sign of one of our new flowers dying, we tell them."

Saria smiled sadly. "Thank you, Mido." She looked down at the blossom beneath her feet. It had grown so close to the ancient Forest Temple entrance, a place that had once borne the Statue of the Goddess, home of the incredible and sacred power of the Triforce. It seemed so peculiar to her that a timeless forest be near the source of a temple that once held divinity within its walls.

"It will be all right, Saria," Mido said suddenly. It shocked Saria; he had so rarely shown any consolation or comfort. But he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "You mustn't worry."

Saria closed her eyes, letting Mido's arms embrace her. "I hope you're right, my love," she said, then looked up to kiss him softly.

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><p>Time passed in the metaphorical sense of the word, and the flower didn't seem to grow. Nothing else grew, and nothing else died. Saria continued to keep her prophetic dream from the rest of the Kokiri, and Mido continued to respect her judgment. General ease flowed over the tiny people, and Saria thought that maybe just once her prophecy wouldn't come true. But there was one night, when she was asleep in the wooden pod that was her bed, that her forest messenger appeared in a dream with an interesting message.<p>

For as long as she could remember, Saria's dream messenger was a miniscule fairy named Tera. The fairy emitted such an intense light from a shining necklace that only her wings were visible outside the sphere of white. Tera spoke with the wisdom of the Great Deku Tree, and so far all of her enlightening prophecies had proven truthful. But this time when she appeared to Saria, her prophecy was more of a lesson.

"It is time for the fairies of the forest to aid the Kokiri," Tera said in her small voice, which rang like little chimes in Saria's mind.

"What do you mean?" Saria thought.

"The Great Deku Tree is home to the Great Fairy, a powerful and beautiful being who is a mother to all forest fairies."

"You mean there are more of you?" Saria said in quiet awe.

Tera continued to explain that the forest fairies share ancestors with the Kokiri, only they evolved on a non-physical plane. The being that has been communicating with Saria was not entirely the Great Deku Tree, but simply a Deku tree infused with the spirit of the Great Fairy. They were once separate entities until their spirits merged and created an all-knowing being of wisdom. The Kokiri and fairies were born of this merger.

"The time has now come for the forest fairies and the Kokiri people to merge as well," Tera continued. "At dawn, a community of fairies will enter your midst, each connected to a specific Kokiri child. This fairy will stay with him or her forever."

All of the sudden knowledge made Saria's head spin until she opened her eyes, awake in the pool of moonlight coming in through the window. Mido lay beside her, unperturbed and sleeping soundly. How was she to explain why the fairies were arriving to the Kokiri? She quickly awakened the leader.

"Is everything all right?" Mido said drowsily. Saria explained her dream and the fairy's words. They only produced a look of tired melancholy in Mido's eyes. "We tell them that the Great Deku Tree has bestowed on us another gracious gift: the individual protection and companionship of a forest fairy."

Saria didn't like the idea of lying to her people, but she could only nod her head in agreement. She was already keeping the Great Deku Tree's prophecy of the forest's death from them.

Although Mido went back to sleep, Saria stayed awake and waited patiently for morning. Just before the sun peeked over the horizon, she climbed out of her little home and waited by the path that led to the Great Deku Tree. Slowly, one by one, fairy after fairy entered the village. In the middle of them was a small fairy gleaming brightly who approached Saria. She could only assume that it was Tera.

As the Kokiri awakened, their respective fairies found them. It wasn't long before each Kokiri was playing bemusedly with their new friend, and Saria joined Mido atop the Council Rock.

"My dear people," Mido said in an authoritative voice, "The Great Deku Tree has once more given us a generous gift: the gift of protection and friendship. Each forest fairy was sent to aid you in your personal endeavors, whatever they may be. We will be preparing a feast tonight in honor of the Great Deku Tree's wonderful generosity."

The Kokiri cheered in delight, making acquaintances with their new fairies. Saria turned to Tera, who was fluttering by her head. "It is almost shocking to see you in person," she said gently.

"Saria, you know there is a reason for this sudden guidance," said Tera. "The Great Fairy is concerned for both our peoples. She has sensed the Great Deku Tree's prophecy of death and fears not only for the forest, but for all of Hyrule."

Saria felt anxiety prod at her chest. "What should we do?" she asked, tone panicked. "We cannot leave the forest, else we'll die. We cannot save the forest since we are beings of timelessness, and death is a result of time. Please, Tera, tell me what to do and I will do it."

But Tera's silent response was all the guidance Saria received.

Feeling hopeless and in need of some form of encouragement, Saria made a visit to the flower blossom that had frightened everyone some time ago. And to her utter dismay, the blossom had already grown into a full flower and died. But even more disconcerting was the death of many more plants around it, which have been there for as long as the Kokiri. It was as if the ancient temple had been leaking time into the forest, soon to reach the Kokiri and ultimately the Great Deku Tree.

Heart racing with terror and panic, Saria ran back to the village, calling for Mido. "Mido, the Sacred Grove!" she exclaimed, out of breath from the run. "It's dying!"

A chorus of gasps came from all around them. Mido looked out over the Kokiri, then back to Saria. "How far along is it?"

"The new blossom has already died of old age," Saria breathed, feeling light-headed and woozy.

Cries of fear and terror emerged from the villagers while the fairies attempted to calm their companions.

"There is a way to ebb the process," Tera eventually murmured into Saria's ear.

"Tell me, please," Saria pleaded.

"Of course," said Tera. "We must pay a visit to the Great Fairy."

(Don't worry, I know Saria and Mido are together for the time being, but bear with me :p )


	6. The Birth of a King Pt 5

(All right, well, no one said don't update often, so here goes xD Also one thing, if something I do scares you off as a reader, _let me know_! It's okay if you review and say "Hey, I hate what you're doing with the Kokiri, so I might stop reading." I want to know what you're thinking! I think of my work as a collaborative effort. Enjoy!)

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><p>EVEN THOUGH THE forest fairies had only arrived briefly before Saria's visit to the Great Deku Tree, time altered that perception. To the Kokiri, in their halted state of a forest, the fairies had been with them for what felt like years at this point. New Kokiri were accompanied by new fairies, and it became a Kokiri right to a fairy companion.<p>

Saria, however, only made her journey with Tera to the Great Deku Tree moments after the fairies had settled in, from an outsider's perspective. Still, to the concerned soothsayer, her worries felt as if they'd been going on for years. She looked up at the massive tree before her, roots curling into the ground and green leaves growing from every possible twig that extended toward the sky. Saria almost heard hushed little voices among the branches, remembering that this sacred tree was the home of many fairies.

"Darkness is coming to Hyrule," came a gentle yet authoritative voice, that of a much older female. As if on cue, a beautiful woman seemed to emerge from the intertwined branches of the tree. She was three times the size of Saria, and had a misty haze about her that made the Kokiri question whether or not she was a physical being. She had long green hair that seemed to turn into the tree's vines as it fell down her back, matching with the foliage that covered her body. Unlike the fairies that now swarmed Kokiri Village, this beautiful woman had no wings, nor shining necklace of light.

"You're the spirit of the Great Deku Tree?" Saria said, incredulous.

The Great Fairy let out a laugh that sounded like the chatter of fairies, only much more graceful and distant, as if a giant bell had chimed in a faraway land.

"The Great Deku Tree merely accepted and welcomed me into his sanctuary," the Fairy answered. "I am the Great Fairy of Courage, and I watch over your village."

"How do I stop the forest from dying?" Saria asked hurriedly.

Another laugh from the Fairy sounded through the glade. "The forest is cursed, little one. Timelessness is not something to treasure. With death comes growth, and the birth of new things."

"But this means the Kokiri will die," Saria said, tone panicked.

"The Kokiri are safe in the arms of the fairies and the Great Deku Tree," the Fairy consoled. "But you must know of the dangers that come with change." The Great Fairy descended from the tree, hovering in the air until she was just above Saria's head. "A new age is dawning on all of Hyrule. This is why it is necessary for the forest to die, and for new things to grow in its place. However the time is encroaching much too quickly. The forest must live on or else it will become corrupted too soon, and nothing new will come of it."

"So what do I do?" Saria said.

"Music has always pleased the gods," said the Great Fairy. "And in the new age that is dawning, it will rule the skies. The birth of the new princess will grant the people of Hyrule the music of the goddesses, which when played by the chosen hero can be used for the good of the land and the people." The Great Fairy waved a hand through the air, conjuring up a small wooden ocarina. "Fashioned from the bark of the Great Deku Tree, I grant you this ocarina, Saria of the Kokiri."

Saria took the physical ocarina from the ethereal being's hands, eyeing it closely. "How is this supposed to help the forest?"

"There is a song you must play," the Great Fairy said, returning to her perch in the branches of the Great Deku Tree. "It was stored away within your heart from a distant life and can ebb the death of the forest. But know that when it is time for you to pass on your ocarina, it is time for the forest to die."

Saria gazed up at the fading entity of the Great Fairy. "How will I know? Great Fairy, please, how will I know when to pass on the ocarina, and how will I learn the song?"

The Great Fairy paused, turning to flash a smile at the Kokiri. "The forest will guide you, as you harbor a wise spirit." And with that, the Great Fairy let out a peeling laugh and vanished within the Great Deku Tree.

Saria gazed down at the wooden ocarina in her small hands. It was oblong-shaped with an array of holes. She had no idea how to play, but she knew that in order to save the forest she would at least have to try.

"The Great Fairy is right," Tera said quietly, fluttering by Saria's ear. "The death of the forest may be frightening, but it is inevitable."

"But why now?" Saria said, out of breath from the encounter. "There will be a new princess?"

"Some things even we fairies are not meant to know," Tera chimed. "For now, all you can do is learn the song of the forest and continue its life for a little longer."

When Saria returned to the village, Mido immediately sought her out. "Saria. Has the Great Deku Tree spoken? What can we do to save the forest?"

The green-haired Kokiri pressed a hand against the ocarina, hidden safely in her satchel. For some reason she felt it was not necessary for Mido or the other Kokiri to know of her new responsibilities.

"There is still hope," she said simply, with a smile. "The Great Deku Tree predicts a prosperous time for the forest."

The Kokiri cheered in excitement, but only Mido regarded Saria skeptically. "Saria," he said below his breath, "what are you not telling me?"

Saria only smiled so not as to confuse the villagers, and turned on her heel to find the Sacred Grove. Once there, she felt within her the pain of the dying foliage, the leaking energy from the ancient temple. She watched Tera flutter around the entrance to the overgrown building, which towered above them. "Something is awakening the power from this place," the fairy said delicately. "It must be the new age that the Great Fairy mentioned."

"It once held the power of a gate that let one transcend time itself," Saria explained, although she knew the fairy must already know the grove's history. "It has been empty of such abilities for centuries."

"But it is being rebuilt," Tera said suddenly, fluttering down to Saria. "The gods are filling it with renewed energy. It must be why the forest around it is dying; the new surge of energy is too much for such a static place."

"Why would the gods be filling it with renewed energy?" Saria said.

"The Great Fairy must have concealed this knowledge for a reason," said Tera. She paused, wings flitting rapidly. "Do you feel the song of the forest?"

Saria closed her eyes, feeling the pulse of the ancient temple. The melody whistled through her like a cool breeze, lifting her spirits. She reached into her satchel and pulled out the ocarina, feeling the energy flow through it. Pressing the mouthpiece to her lips, she began to play. The speed of her fingers startled her, as well as the immense power she felt at the melody's sound. She played through a whole song, and then repeated. She kept on repeating, feeling buoyed by its lightness and empowered by its abilities. She could vaguely make out Tera's whistling voice, crying out, "It's working! Saria, it's working! The grove… it's regenerating!"

But in her mind, a whole orchestra of forest instruments had joined in. She danced in place, overjoyed by the tune and the energy.

In the midst of her dancing, she spun around and briefly opened her eyes, and suddenly the music stopped. Her fingers froze above the keys, and the symphony of instruments in her head ceased. There, standing at the entrance of the Sacred Grove, was a Skull Kid.

The stories of the Children of the Forest were only ever in place to warn new Kokiri of the dangers outside the village. On Saria's first day, Mido was merely a newcomer himself and told her the tall tale. The warning goes that if a Kokiri finds himself lost in the forest outside their village, the forest will eat him up and turn him into a Skull Kid, a scarecrow-like bandit that is always and forever alone. Hyrule theorists call them Children of the Forest, for the cautionary tale was not necessarily true. One theory suggests that a Kokiri once mated with a Deku Scrub, producing a mutated half-breed that has become a somewhat rare occurrence in the wood. Another theory, the one that gave these creatures the name Children of the Forest, suggests that they are truly children of trees, grown from Deku seeds that have been graced with a Great Fairy's tears, or the light from a forest fairy. All scholars, however, agreed that the creatures did not exist.

To the Kokiri, these somewhat frightening beings are the reason for the Lost Woods' naming, and are a good urban legend against the dangers of the forest. But experienced Kokiri are more aware of the truth being the tale. So when Saria saw the Skull Kid standing silently at the grove's entrance, her heart nearly stopped.

The Skull Kid had eerily gray skin, thin stick-like limbs, and two beady, orange eyes with no whites hiding deep in what must have been its face. It wore dirty rags that resembled deteriorated Kokiri clothing, including the straw hat of a Kokiri worker. The brim of the hat shadowed its face, but Saria had an upsetting hunch that no matter what angle she tried to look through, she wouldn't see a face at all.

"Play it again," the Skull Kid said, voice like crunching leaves.

Saria was breathing heavily, from a combination of exhaustion and fright. The creature before her looked like a demon the forest had spit out, simply because it had been too hard to swallow. It was sagging and empty, and certainly seemed alone.

"Did you hear me? Play it again."

Saria swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed the ocarina to her lips once more. She searched for the melody inside her heart, but it didn't come to her. Her fingers were trembling, and she knew that without the spirit of the forest within her once more, she could never move them according to the song's swift melody.

"Play it again. Play it again, play it again."

It was acting like a little kid, like a whining child that wanted its way. And Saria had no idea what would happen if it didn't get its way.

"I can't…" she breathed, looking down at the ocarina.

"You were just playing it," the Skull Kid said, eyes boring holes into Saria's. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I don't know how… I was just…" Saria felt her heart pounding in fear. "Please don't hurt me."

The Skull Kid lifted its head slightly so that the hat could no longer possibly shadow its face. But where a face would be only darkness resided, with a large grin revealing two rows of rigidly sharp teeth. "Hurt you?" it echoed, sounding confused. "I just want you to play that song again. Play it again."

The Skull Kid took a step forward, and Saria shut her eyes, hoping it was somehow an apparition. But she heard Tera's tingling voice beside her whisper, "Ignore it. Let the voice of the forest flow through you again. You can do it, Saria."

Saria did just that, and was once more playing the joyful melody of the forest. She opened her eyes this time, watching the Skull Kid carefully, and to her surprise it began to dance. It hopped from foot to foot, eyes closed in joy. Then, to add to Saria's surprise, it whipped out a thin, wooden flute and pressed it to its lipless mouth. "Teach me," it exclaimed, interrupting the musical session.

Saria paused. "If I were to be honest," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I don't necessarily know how to play it. I just can."

The Skull Kid's glowing eyes landed on her ocarina. "Can I have that?" it said.

Saria's heart rate increased once more. "It was a gift. I cannot give it to you."

Suddenly the Skull Kid's perpetual grin turned somewhat sinister. "But I want it. I want to play it."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot give it to you," Saria said. She bit her lip, thinking. "How about I come to the forest once a day to play the song. Then you can enjoy it without me giving you the ocarina."

The Skull Kid seemed to consider her offer. It didn't seem too used to compromise, although Saria was sure it wasn't accustomed to much social interaction in general.

"Okay," it said finally, grin no longer malicious. "Play it again?"

Saria pressed the ocarina to her lips and played. The song was easier to find this time, and she could begin to place her fingers correctly without letting the energy completely take over. Perhaps one day she would be able to teach the Skull Kid.

The two of them were there for quite some time before the Skull Kid grew bored and left Saria and Tera in the grove. The Kokiri collapsed beside a stump, which was all that remained of a tree that failed to grow back. "The Skull Kids are real," she muttered to herself.

Once back in the village, she found herself avoiding Mido's attention. Something told her to keep her newfound responsibility a secret, and she certainly didn't want to frighten the Kokiri by mentioning her encounter with the Skull Kid. Surely it was best to keep the information between herself and her fairy companion.

Mido, however, was not pleased with Saria's silence. Days passed and the soothsayer refused to admit why the forest was suddenly healthy again. But what concerned him most were the daily visits through the Lost Woods to the grove. She always requested to go alone, and usually stayed there for a good portion of the day.

One night came when Mido was fed up with Saria's constant secrecy. He approached her while she slept and peered at the satchel beside her head. She never let it out of her sight, and Mido knew that it was the reason for her discretion. Quietly and carefully, he reached into the bag and pulled out the small wooden ocarina. It was beautifully crafted, with smooth, polished wood and a small green triangle by the mouthpiece. It certainly wasn't anything to keep a secret, not from the surface. Mido decided to replace the ocarina and leave the information alone. But if Saria continued to keep what she knew from him, trouble would come to the Kokiri.


	7. The Reawakening Pt 1

**A/N: I think I'm going to settle with weekly updates. So if you want to keep reading, check back every Saturday or so, or just keep the story on your Alert! Enjoy the first part of the Reawakening!**

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><p>NO ONE REALLY questioned the presence of a new royal son. Of course they speculated, but no one was about to doubt the legitimacy of this new king, the first in one hundred years. These kings brought a prosperous golden age to the Gerudo, as the legends told, so the villagers simply let his perplexing existence go.<p>

Ganondorf participated in all the usual "heir" activities, save for the class on princess etiquette. He referred to Koume as his mother, even though for the first few years of his life he was fed by one of the nursemaids who had recently mothered her own daughter. Koume spoiled him with toys and Hylian delicacies in his toddler years and after some time truly felt a love for the boy. His birth mother had been almost entirely forgotten.

When he was of age to begin his education, Ganondorf expressed a keen interest in sorcery. Koume had on many occasions found him attempting to manipulate one of his toys with no physical contact. However, she continued to deny his requests for magic lessons until she was satisfied he would succeed. But when the day came that he did, an inkling of unease settled in her stomach.

Ganondorf had been in the stables, since he had discovered in himself an affinity toward animals. He had taken a particular liking in one horse who not a single person could even recall obtaining. She was a beautiful mare with an ebony pelt and amber eyes, and no one claimed her as their own. Therefore the little king declared his ownership and no one protested, especially since there was something a little off about the horse. Ganondorf seemed to be the only one not put off by her strangely red-tinted eyes, so he seemed like a natural owner. He called her "horsey" until he saw the name "Wrana" carved into her saddle.

As his first successful attempt at magic, Ganondorf wanted to add some color to Wrana's static pelt. Koume, naturally, strongly advised him against it for fear of hurting the animal, so Ganondorf escaped into the stables when his mother thought he was at his writing lesson. After long attempts at color-producing spells he found in an old leather-bound book, he was close to giving up on his endeavor. Eager for one last hope, he leafed through the dry, yellowing pages until he came across a spell called "the Colors of Din." He barely skimmed the spell's description before turning to Wrana and chanting the ancient Hylian words. It had the word "colors" in it, so it had to produce some sort of new coloration.

But to Ganondorf's confusion, the horse let out a screech of pain and terror as its mane and tail lit fire. Her red eyes rolled as she bucked against her stall panels, whinnying chaotically. Ganondorf gazed at the book's pages for some sort of magical way to douse the fire, but in his frenzied page-turning he tore some of the yellow leaves and ruined the diagrams and phrases. It wasn't until he realized that Wrana had ceased whinnying that he looked up to find the fire gone, as well as the black hair of the horse's mane and tail. In their place were fibers of beautiful red and orange hair, the colors of a radiant fire.

Overjoyed at his horse's new coloration, Ganondorf forgot he was supposed to be at a writing lesson and ran to tell his mother. Koume, although furious at his disobedience, went with him to the stables to see what he had done to the poor animal. But her anger was replaced with admiring shock when he saw Wrana's new vibrant colors. She then decided to grant Ganondorf his wish for magic lessons.

Dread crept its way into Koume's heart when she realized she have to turn to someone else for advisement, someone she hadn't seen in years. But this person was the best sorcerer in Hyrule, had been for decades, and was also the only person Koume trusted with her deeply seated fears concerning her son. Swallowing her pride, she made the decision to contact her sister, Kotake.

Koume wrote to her sister, expressing her concerns toward Ganondorf's interest in magic. When Kotake arrived from her unknown home somewhere in the forests of the south, they locked themselves inside Koume's chamber to discuss.

"You realize this means he will have to choose between sorcery and leading the Gerudo," Koume said with a crestfallen tone.

Kotake, a slender woman with cold eyes, was exactly identical to Koume. The only differences rested in Kotake's sorcerer's garbs and a headdress with a large blue gem hanging over her forehead. "He is only a boy," she said, icy voice nonchalant. "When the time comes for him to make a decision, he will."

"You remember how it tore us apart," said Koume quietly, not looking at her sister. "Mother had to decide for us."

"That was only because we both wanted to become sorcerers and were both fit to rule," Kotake said, standing before the princess as she sat on her bed. "If one of us had chosen another hobby, we wouldn't have…" The words drifted from her as she stared out the window, lost in a memory.

"But think," Koume pressed, "if Ganondorf chooses to lead the Gerudo, I can take to magic again." She stood, taking a step toward her sister. "We can become the Twinrova again."

Kotake let a sarcastic smile spread on her lips. "We've lost that connection, sister," she said wryly. "Even if you practiced sorcery once more, we could never be as we were in our younger years."

"Your faith in our power is astonishing," Koume said. "Our own mother said we would be Hyrule's destruction if we joined forces."

"And that was why she decreed that no leader should be able to practice sorcery," Kotake said. "The two of us had too much anger in our hearts to be the Twinrova. If mother hadn't made you her successor, we'd have gone wild."

Koume followed her sister's gaze through the window. "At least let us teach my son the basics," she said. "If he wants to learn sorcery, so be it. But I cannot teach him myself."

Kotake exhaled as she considered her sister's words. It had been so long since they'd talked this peacefully, so long since she had lived within the Gerudo walls. But seeing her sister again buoyed her decision and she smiled. "You most certainly can't," she laughed. "I was always the better sorcerer."

Koume laughed with her before adjusting her headdress. "Welcome home, sister."

During her stay, all the resentment Kotake had felt toward her sister in the past vanished. She developed a liking for Ganondorf, even when Koume inevitably told her the truth about his birth. The boy admired her for teaching him magic, and they established a strong bond that Koume delighted in.

In the following days, Ganondorf's magic abilities grew exponentially. He could easily perform spells without reciting their chants; he could lift small objects to his hands without moving; he could speak words and watch as a feather pen transcribed them on a piece of parchment. He also took greatly to using his abilities to benefit his horse. He would spend afternoons in Wrana's stall, reading a book while brushes and clothes moved themselves across the horse's flanks, cleaning her fur to an iridescent sheen.

Many like to believe that the root of Ganondorf's desire for power began in his love for his horse. His wish to spoil her stemmed from his magic abilities and he asked Kotake if she knew a spell that could raise crops from the ground. Koume restricted her sister from teaching Ganondorf any nature manipulation spells, but the young king pleaded with his aunt. She made him promise only to use such magic to feed his horse, and nothing more. He agreed, and began learning the simplest of the earth manipulation spells.

Koume eventually found out about Ganondorf's endeavors and scolded Kotake for teaching him such dangerous magic.

"How is it dangerous?" Kotake said. "He wants to grow carrots to feed his dear Wrana. That's a sign of benevolence if you ask me."

"Do you know what nature manipulation leads to?" Koume said. "It leads to hurricanes and tornadoes every time he throws a temper tantrum!"

"You're being ridiculous," Kotake said.

"This is a very reasonable concern."

"I won't teach him anything else until he is old enough to know how to use magic wisely."

Koume was not satisfied, but said nothing more.

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><p>Ganondorf could no longer sleep. Nearly ever night since he had turned thirteen, he awoke to a terrible ache in his chest, causing him to wheeze in agony. Each time, Mother Koume would rush over to his bed chamber and hold him tightly, whispering soft lies into his ear. He would be okay, this was the last time, this was perfectly normal. But Ganondorf was an incredibly intelligent young boy, and he could almost taste the lies in his mother's voice. But the pain in his torso was so domineering that he said nothing in response. Each gasp of breath brought a stronger ache, as if something inside him wanted him to suffer just for his existence.<p>

One night the pain was accompanied by a nightmare. Ganondorf was atop his horse, Wrana, and a horrible figure rose above his head. It seemed shapeless, swarming with raw energy and hissing like a monstrous serpent. But the young prince couldn't move his steed, who seemed to be locked in place by this writing black mass. Suddenly the mass condensed into a mirror image of Ganondorf, although his skin was shimmering pitch black from the strange material and his hair was made of fire.

The figure grinned menacingly. "Time to wake up." And with its horrible laugh still ringing in the prince's ears, he woke with a scream, clutching his chest. The pain was so excruciating that he thought he might die in that very moment. But Koume and Kotake both came rushing into his bed chamber.

"Ganon!" Koume sat on the edge of the bed and held her son's face in her elegant, slender hands. "Ganondorf, my boy, are you all right? More pain?"

Ganondorf let out a yowl of pain as a yes, doubling over. "He's coming, Mother... He's going to kill me..."

"What in the Goddess's name are you talking about?" Kotake said, tone just as motherly as Koume's. "No one's coming to kill you, darling."

The three of them sat in the prince's room until his shuddering sobs quieted. Eventually he lay back down and took deep breaths, calming himself.

"Koume..." Kotake whispered. She nodded toward Ganondorf's chest, which was bare from his sleeping attire. Right in the center, spreading from where his heart was still beating rapidly, was a web of black lines resembling veins beneath his skin. Koume was certainly concerned, but made no comment. She smiled at her son.

"Go back to sleep, my prince," she said, leaning down and kissing his forehead. "Things will make themselves clearer in the morning." Once again, Ganondorf made no comment about the lie.

The sisters left the room and Ganondorf closed his eyes. But as soon as he did, the swirling black mass appeared before him and he opened them wide again. A flash of panic overcame his shivering body. Was he going crazy? Was this only the nightmare of a child of which he was foolishly frightened? He lay on his back for the rest of the night, not once letting himself drift off.

Back in Koume's room, the twins sat on the princess's bed.

"What do you think it means?" Koume said after a moment.

"He's still a boy," said Kotake. "We shouldn't look into until it proves detrimental."

"He's our son," said Koume. "You adopted as much interest in the boy as I have. You can't possibly feel no sympathy toward him."

"You're much too soft," spat Kotake suddenly. "You think fondness for him is nonexistent in my actions, when in truth, it is the foundation. He is a strong, young sorcerer already, and the magic he was born with is beginning to manifest itself. If we do anything to stop what may be harmless, we could stifle the growth of his inborn power."

Koume stood, holding a hand to her forehead. She felt like she was burning up, like she might be falling ill. "You've always shown your love in a cold way." She looked at her sister. "It made me wonder as a child whether you could love at all."

Kotake stood as well, walking over to the princess and taking her hands away from her face. "You're my twin. And Ganondorf is your son. Of course I love you both." She paused, her face very close to Koume's. "And I have my ways of showing love."

There was a tense moment in which the two women locked golden gazes, hearts beating in tandem. Before she knew it, Kotake's lips were pressed against Koume's. After another long moment, she smiled. "He will be fine." And with that, she left the princess's chambers.

**A/N: Oh hey Game of Thrones, how's it goin'?**


	8. The Reawakening Pt 2

**A/N: Welcome to Fanfic Friday! Works much better than Fanfic Saturday (was also an excuse to update a day early). I worked a lot with the structuring of this chapter with a beta friend, so I hope yall enjoy it!**

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><p>By the time Ganondorf turned eighteen, he had long since grown into his body. He went from a scrawny, awkward boy to a well-built, charmingly handsome young man. What's more is that he knew it, and took advantage of his charismatic personality. He was aware of his status as a male of royal blood and he took much delight in it as he stalked the streets of the city that would soon be his. He wasn't formal about it in any way however, and would often request that no one bow in his presence. Even when his mothers were walking with him, he would tell the onlookers to get up off their knees. "You're not dogs," was a well-known saying of his amongst the citizens.<p>

Still, people were afraid. Something about the prince was unsettling, even when he was helping a poor old man to his feet. Ganondorf could sense it too, and felt a strange conflict toward his people. He wanted them to feel comfortable in his presence, but realized that making them feel like equals was not comforting for them at all.

There were a select few who embraced Ganondorf's nonchalance, many of them being the young girls to whom he would offer "tours of the palace." Two that stood out however were his sword instructor and current Chief of Military, an older woman by the name of Rumalia, and her daughter Nabooru. Rumalia had been teaching Ganondorf the techniques of Gerudo sword fighting since he was ten, and was already thoroughly comfortable with reprimanding him on his mistakes. Her daughter, Nabooru, was in training to become the next Chief of Military, second in command only to the future king. As soon as she was of age to start training, she joined Ganondorf in his lessons and the two became quick friends. They often sneaked around the city together, when they were supposed to be in their lesson on the history of Hyrule. And being best friends, Nabooru was one of the first to recognize a change in the prince. His parents could not place the strange behavior, and he didn't feel compelled to share with them anyway.

"Why are they so afraid?" Ganondorf asked Nabooru one day while they sat on the dusty ground of an alley, backs against the adobe wall of a market building.

Nabooru tossed a couple "magic" beans that she'd purchased from the market into her mouth. "They're afraid of change," she said. "You're the Gerudo _prince_. You're practically change incarnate."

Ganondorf watched as people passed by the alley entrance. "But the Gerudo king is supposed to bring prosperity. Why would they fear that?"

"Surely you're aware of the talk all around Hyrule," said Nabooru.

Ganondorf was aware. Now that his reign as king was approaching rapidly, Mother Koume had him sit in on the moonly meetings with the Gerudo Ambassador, Azaroon. The journey across Hyrule Field took about a day and half on horseback, and Azaroon would sometimes send a raven with a report that the information was not worth the trip. But as of a year ago, she had begun travelling to her homeland to report crucial information. The last time she had visited, she informed the Gerudo leaders of the murmurings of discontent both within and without the walls of Castle Town. With the Goron settlement growing larger, developing its own new hierarchy to claim Death Mountain, King Daltus was growing concerned with Hyrule's recently-established borders. Many Gorons and Zoras within Castle Town held secret meetings to discuss reclaiming the region as their own. Just because these Hylians claimed to be children of the Goddess did not give them automatic rights to the previously inhabited land. What concerned Azaroon was the place of the Gerudo in this debate. They were mostly Hylian at this point, but were still considered outcasts by those with pure Hylian blood. Not to mention the round-eared humans that were considered "lower" than Hylians, with no sacred connection to the gods. It was beginning to cast a dark and strange shadow over Ganondorf's prosperous rule.

"What does any of it have to do with me?" said the prince after a brief moment of contemplation.

"Are you serious?" Nabooru said. "You'll be the King of the Gerudo in a few years. If a rebellion does break out, you'll have to choose what's best for your people."

"What if they don't like what's best for them?"

Nabooru looked down at the bag of beans in her hands. "That's a risk you'll have to take. It won't be easy, but it'll make you stand out as a great leader."

Ganondorf closed his eyes. He hadn't seen anything of the strange entity that remained in the back of his memory since it had revealed itself five years ago. His nights had been entirely sleepless, and the strange shadowy figure would not cease to torment his vision whenever his eyes were closed. When night had fallen one evening, after sword practice, Ganondorf lay on his blankets, hot from the desert air. He gazed up at the ceiling of his overly-ornate sleeping chambers deep within the palace walls, breath coming and going heavily. After a long moment of mental preparation, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He was no longer in his room, but standing atop an endless expanse of water. It was calm, despite the gray clouds above his head. Standing before him was the shadowed version of himself, small black wisps flying off in every direction. This time, a man stepped through the shadow, shaking it off like he would a cloak. He resembled the Gerudo prince, but was much older and had slightly beast-like features about him. What was more, this man was a towering sculpture of musculature, whereas the prince was still a scrawny little thing.

Ganondorf narrowed his thin, golden eyes. "Who are you?" he said coolly.

The man seemed to have a perpetual smirk about him. "I am a legend."

"Why are you here?" asked the boy. "What do you want with me?"

The man observed his hand idly, and Ganondorf noticed that his skin had a grayish pall to it. "I am your namesake, boy. I could be your father. And I want to tell you the truth about this world."

Ganondorf looked down at the water, confused. "How could you be my father?"

"How can you have two mothers?" said the man.

Ganondorf frowned. He always wondered why there were only a few other men in the Valley, but his parents always said it was just the way things were. He certainly didn't know why two mothers were required for his upbringing.

The man smirked. "My name is Ganon."

Ganondorf looked up at him. His schoolteacher had once told him the fable of Ganon and the Beast. Ganon was a mighty warrior who ruled the whole region of Lanayru, having conquered all of its evils with an almost bloodthirsty vengeance. One day, a horrible Beast wandered through his land, wanting to devour everything in sight. Wherever he stepped, the lush greenery died and withered, crumbling into the sand that now filled the Valley. Ganon, having the spirit of a thousand warriors, made a deal with the Beast. If it devoured him, he would have to leave his people alone. The Beast agreed, but when he indeed devoured Ganon, the mighty warrior did not die, but lived on as the Beast. Only then did he discover that this Beast was merely an image of himself, a primal manifestation of the "victorious" conquests that slaughtered hundreds.

"That's just a myth," said Ganondorf.

"Did I not say I was a legend?" said Ganon.

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, watching the man carefully. "What do you mean by the truth about this world?"

Ganon laughed heartily. "You're still just a boy," he said. "You have much to learn, one step at a time."

Ganondorf smiled. Something about this figure felt comforting. He wondered if it was the feeling usually brought on by having a father. "Are you real?"

"Of course I am," said Ganon. "But I'm not yet strong enough to take corporeal form." His eyes glinted with a grin. "But don't you worry, my son. Open your eyes, and let sleep overcome you. You shall rest well tonight."

Ganondorf opened his eyes slowly to the ceiling once more. They did not stay open for long, as sleep dragged at his whole body. After a brief moment, he finally fell into the most wonderful sleep of his life.

He opened his eyes. "Come with me to Castle Town," he said suddenly, mind back in the present. "Mother Koume and Kotake are taking me for the first time tomorrow."

Nabooru laughed. "You know I can't. It's the perfect opportunity for my mother to show me how things run at the Fortress with you and Koume gone." She paused, smile fading as she looked back down at her hands. "Ask one of your girls to go."

Ganondorf was already beginning to collect a harem, but it wasn't necessarily in his favor. Many girls pursued the prince in hopes of becoming his princess, and possibly the mother of the next leader. It wasn't exactly subtle however that both Ganondorf and Nabooru preferred each other's company, but with her predesignated position among the warriors, a coupling between them would be nigh impossible. They never spoke about their feelings for each other, and were both too stubborn to do anything about it.

The next day, Ganondorf awoke to his personal servant offering him a quick breakfast of toast with purple chu jelly and salted Deku nuts before his journey across the Desert and Hyrule Field. The young prince ate in silence before dressing in the traditional garbs of Gerudo royalty. His robes were a deep blue with golden trimming, and he adorned his forehead with a golden gemstone circlet that held back his chin-length crimson hair. The stone was a symbol of high importance to the Gerudo, even though they were only ever worn outside the Desert as a means of identification.

The carriage couldn't travel across the Desert's unstable sands, so the travelers had to traverse the sand on horseback. Ganondorf was delighted by this fact; he rarely got to ride his dear Wrana, at least for extended periods of time. By the time he had mounted his steed, he had bolted off ahead of the group, much to his parents' frustration. But as long as they were in Gerudo territory, they were confident in their son's ability to defend himself if the need arose.

Once across the monotonous sands, following the red signal flags, Ganondorf came across the Gerudo Fortress, where Nabooru and all the sentries and warriors trained and resided. The huge complex was right on the edge of the Desert, looking out over the Valley that connected to Hyrule Field. It was also frequented by the prince himself for his sword training.

But Ganondorf couldn't stop here now, as much as he'd like to. He strode forward through the Valley, skillfully guiding his horse through the narrow passage. The mountainous region which once housed some sort of mining facility was slightly more elevated over the Field. The mines had long since been deserted when the Gerudo made their home there.

Finally at the bottom of the Valley trail, Wrana stopped. There, where the stony sand gave way to lush grass, was a single Gerudo sentry tower. It was fitted with all supplies necessary for a trip either across the Field or the Desert, including the carriage that would soon transport the travelers toward the heart of Hyrule. The others eventually caught up while Ganondorf allowed Wrana to drink from the temporary stables behind the sentry tower. After a brief argument with his parents, he was eventually given begrudging permission to ride his horse across the Field instead of sitting in the carriage. Koume and Kotake had argued that it wasn't professional having the future king show up on horseback, but clashing with their son's stubborn personality rarely resulted in success. Thus, Ganondorf mounted his horse once again and the miniature caravan set out for Castle Town.


	9. The Reawakening Pt 3

**A/N: I missed Fanfic Friday :U But that's okay! Hope you all enjoy c:**

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><p>As the spires of Hyrule Castle eventually cleared the horizon, Ganondorf had begun to feel a strange ache in his chest, one he hadn't felt for years. It was a similar sensation to that of his sleepless nights in his younger years, but it was no longer accompanied by a sharp agony. The ache felt more like something inside him was trying to break free, but not destroy its host in the process. And even when the young prince closed his eyes, the strange entity Ganon was nowhere to be found.<p>

Ganondorf barely had time to consider this ache before his thoughts were overcome by what was happening as they neared the drawbridge. His parents had often made such a fuss over presentation, over Ganondorf recognizing himself as higher than the other Gerudo. But the obvious lack of reception for the visitors was abundantly clear as the various guards sent distasteful looks their way. The one who was tasked with the burden of checking visitors before opening the drawbridge seemed to be completely unaware of the group's royal status amongst the Gerudo, rooting through their belongings for weapons and patting down the Gerudo guards with crude sneers on their faces. Never before had Ganondorf even considered getting anything but respect from others, for even if the Gerudo citizens looked at him in fear, it was founded in respect. Eventually the Hylian guard cleared them for entry, and the drawbridge slowly lowered.

"Head on through," he said, a smirk about his lips. Then, as they made their way past, Ganondorf heard him mutter under his breath, "Gerudo thieves."

The stereotype had been assigned to the Gerudo ever since the first group was officially invited to a viewing with the King many, many years ago. Bemused by the high concentration of men and interesting delicacies, the women stole not only money and items, unaware of the town's trading policies, but husbands and wives as well. Ever since then, they were coined as thieves and rarely invited to return.

Ganondorf had never before heard this steretype and was thoroughly confused by the guard's comment. But Mother Koume told him to pay no mind continue onward.

But the feeling of pure strangeness was impossible to shake. Ganondorf wanted to look upon this new place in wonder and curiosity, but he felt like some sort of spectacle being paraded through the city. Many citizens cast them harsh or condescending looks, and a few whispered to each other at the prince's passing. Ganondorf watched them closely, confused by their strange clothing and incredibly pale features. There were, of course, a few Hylians living within Gerudo territory, but they had clearly adopted the ways of their surroundings and presented no sense of superiority. But Ganondorf could only feel a confused anger as he guided his horse through the city streets.

They were led to a rickety stable in what seemed to be the back-end alleys of the town's main plaza. There, they unsaddled their horses and Ganondorf helped his parents out of the carriage, since no one else would be bothered to do so. The prince put a hand on the stable boy's shoulder, noticing him gazing in wonder at Wrana's unnantural and vibrant coloration.

"You look after her," he said. He winked kindly at the boy before stepping toward the open streets.

"We have a little time before our meeting with the King," said Mother Koume. Ganondorf was pleased at the prospect of wandering the streets, but also hesitant. He caught the looks of a few Hylians watching them through the throng of people in the marketplace. "I understand that this is a bit shocking," Koume continued.

"It's not worth getting upset over," said Kotake.

"I'm not upset," Ganondorf said. He flashed a meaningless smile at his aunt before stalking out into the sunlight.

The city, despite its cool inhabitants, was truly a sight for desert eyes. The cobbled streets of the market were buzzing with vendors and gossip, mostly about the Gerudo visitors, and all kinds of fascinating treasures lined the stalls. Ganondorf was able to ignore the ache within his chest as he perused the various objects, especially when the vendors were kind as opposed to silent in their judgments.

Ganondorf stopped at a stall after purchasing a bottle of milk from one Talon, who owned a dairy farm and ranch not far from the city walls. But this particular stall housed its own forge and a whole array of interesting weapons Ganondorf had never seen before. The Gerudo almost exclusively used curved scimitars and spears, and the long straight edges of these swords were unusual and appealing.

"You a swordsman, young man?" someone said before emerging from behind the forge. He was a light-haired Hylian of about thirty, and wore the clothing of a blacksmith.

"You could say that," said Ganondorf. He ran his hand along the smooth steel of a long blade.

"You've certainly got a good eye," said the man. He eyed the Gerudo prince behind guarded eyes. "You're definitely not from around here."

Ganondorf smirked. "I'm from the Gerudo Valley."

"Gerudo?" said the smith. "I thought they were all women."

"They are," said Ganondorf. He grinned up at the man. "I guess I'm just a legend."

The blacksmith chuckled after a brief moment. "The name's Cedric. I'm the Royal blacksmith."

"Ganondorf," said the Gerudo. "I guess that means you're pretty good."

"I would hope so," said Cedric.

When Ganondorf picked up the longsword, he could feel the blacksmith tense. "Don't worry," he said. "If anything breaks, I can compensate."

"Why don't you come around back?" said Cedric. "There's a miniature sparring hall. And people who can defend themselves if you accidentally swing a sword at them."

Ganondorf followed Cedric behind the shop's counter and through a doorway. Behind it was a small courtyard, which made the Gerudo suspect that this Cedric was of higher importance than he let on. The courtyard had a single guard in it, standing in front of a building that arched into the sky, big wooden doors leading inside.

Cedric seemed to pick up on Ganondorf's awe. "Some of the younger knights-to-be begin their training here," he said. "Yours truly is the mentor."

They stepped inside the sparring hall, which had several logs with painted targets on them scattered about the large room. Several weapons were mounted on the walls, including a Gerudo spear. There were a few young boys tagging the logs with practice swords. Ganondorf gripped the longsword in his hand and spun in place, making contact with an upright log. It rocked slightly, held in place by a metal brace on the floor.

"Interesting," said Cedric. He lifted a sword from a rack, walking toward the Gerudo. "Is that a technique taught in your land?"

"It's one of the most basic," said Ganondorf. "You must teach things rather differently."

After a few more moments of sparring, Ganondorf declared that he would like the purchase the sword to add to his collection.

"It's rather expensive, young man," said Cedric.

Ganondorf pulled out his wallet, rather slim in appearance. But when he started withdrawing three golden ruppees at a time, Cedric held out a hand to stop him.

"All right, all right," he said, laughing a little incredulously. "Slow down there. Clearly money is not an issue for you. Why are you so eager to get your hands on a simple longsword?" It wasn't necessarily a sales tactic; he wanted this strange young man to get the best quality sword for his money.

"It's not simple," said Ganondorf. "I've never seen a sword like this."

"You should see the Royal Armory," said Cedric. "It's more of a gallery than a place for knights to equip themselves. A few of my most prized pieces are held there."

"Could I?" Ganondorf said. He placed the longsword on a rack beside them. "I am meeting with your King later, but I might have some time to take a look around."

Cedric raised his eyebrows. After a moment he said, "You're a lot more than just a Desert boy, aren't you?"

Ganondorf grinned. "I am the Gerudo Prince."

Cedric smiled, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Come with me."

The two left the sparring hall, Cedric leaving his shop in the hands of an apprentice. They wove throughout the market, and Ganondorf found it easier to ignore the strange looks from other Hylians. At the end of the marketplace was a large fountain with a winged woman in the center, most likely Hylia herself. Ganondorf felt a pang in his chest, but he shoved the feeling aside even as it grew stronger the more they neared what could only have been Hyrule Castle.

Passing through the bazaar, they made their way through what must have been the lower class residency of the town. Ganondorf noticed many looks of wonderment, but not condescension. He also saw that these people were round-eared, or of another species entirely. They huddled in their doorways, faces somewhat dirtied and bewildered. Ganondorf was aware of the sections of Gerudo Valley that housed the lower class citizens, but never saw their faces quite like this. It added a weight to the ache in his chest that he'd have rather avoided.

Slipping past the residency, a door with the symbol of the Triforce on it appeared in front of them. Cedric turned to Ganondorf as they stopped. "How about we skirt some of the formalities?" He opened the door to a narrow passage, a few candles lighting the way. As they passed through, Cedric informed the Gerudo that they were taking a somewhat secretive passage into the Castle, avoiding the high-quality search that is warranted by the knights of Hyrule. The passage eventually opened up to a larger room, and Cedric pressed against the wall at the end of it. It opened gradually, and he waved Ganondorf inside. Once the door was closed behind them, it seemingly vanished into the ornate wall. They were standing at the end of an expansive corridor, royal blue carpeting beneath their feet. The walls were decorated with highly-detailed paintings of the former kings and queens, and a larger painting of the last Queen Zelda hung above their heads. Her hair was a dark blonde, and her crystal-like blue eyes mirrored those of the goddess Hylia's in traditional artwork. Ganondorf found her beautiful, but in a hollow and uninteresting way. The strange sensation in his chest tightened as he gazed up at the painting.

"The armory is just down here," said Cedric, breaking his train of thought. They walked down the hallway, the blacksmith occasionally nodding at the odd guard who didn't seem to ask what Ganondorf was doing there. They made it to a pair of doors shaped in an arch, and Cedric unlocked them with a key he pulled from his pocket. "Welcome to the Hyrule Castle Armory."

The room was incredibly large, extending many lengths in every direction. As if it were mimicking a library set-up, the hall was lined with racks and racks of weapons, categorized into different types. Ganondorf had never seen such a selection, considering the minimalistic weapons of the Gerudo armories. He wandered up and down the aisles, smiling at the various swords and bows with arrows. He'd never used a bow and arrow before, but had seen some hanging on the wall of the Fortress back in the Desert. The weapons were behind glass however, so he couldn't lift them from their pedestals.

"Take a look at this," said Cedric from the end of an aisle. Ganondorf made his way over to where the blacksmith was standing, looking up at pair of swords mounted in the shape of an X on the wall.

"What's this?" said Ganondorf.

"Your name," Cedric said in response. "You were named after the great warrior of the Gerudo, Ganon, right?"

Ganondorf felt his chest clench as the name was said. He bit his tongue however, determined to ignore it. "That is correct."

"Well one of Castle Town's most renowned scholars has become rather interested in the Gerudo," said Cedric. "He requested a piece to honor the legend. These swords are called Ganon's Swords, and are supposed to be the ones he used to conquer the sands."

Ganondorf looked at Cedric. "Why would a Hylian from Castle Town be so interested in the legend of the Desert People?"

"It's a good question," said Cedric. "He is getting rather old of course, and probably losing some of his previously astounding mental capacity. Some say he's been going a little crazy with this new obsession with the legend of Ganon and the Beast."

Ganondorf couldn't ignore the feeling anymore. He clutched a hand to his chest, staggering backward.

"Are you all right?" said Cedric, worry coating his voice as he reached a hand out toward the prince.

"I'm fine," said the Gerudo through clenched teeth. "Just a little light-headed I suppose. It's been quite the journey."

"I imagine so. Why don't we get you back to the marketplace so you can get ready for your meeting with the King?"

As Cedric led the way back, Ganondorf cast a final glance at the swords on the wall. A flurry of whispered flooded his thoughts, seeming to call him toward the swords. He shook his head vigorously, attempting to rid his mind of the strange voices. But he wanted to wield those swords. They were made for his namesake after all. Eventually he turned away, following the blacksmith back out of the Castle.


	10. The Reawakening Pt 4

**5 days earlier...**

A light rain fell from the sky, as if the Goddesses themselves were in mourning. In the hazy gloom, a single rider strode across Hyrule Field. A black cloak with gold trim shielded the rider from the rain, billowing behind as the white horse carrying it galloped toward Hyrule Castle on the horizon. They hadn't been traveling for long, but the rider urged the horse onward. The drawbridge was already lowered as the rider approached, awaiting the visitor's arrival. The horse strode right through, and the Hyrule guards watched carefully from their sheltered watchtowers. They knew that horse, even they didn't recognize the cloaked rider.

Guiding the horse skillfully throughout the outskirts of the town, the rider passed straight by the upper and lower class residencies, and their respective stables. After weaving through the cobbled paths and past the guards who made no comment, the rider finally stopped. They were in a large courtyard, rectangular hedges and flowerbeds leading toward a small amount of steps that stretched the length of the Castle front. The rider led the horse up the few steps, sheltering them from the rain beneath the stone awning. Dismounting effortlessly the rider finally lowered the cloak's hood to reveal a young woman with sharp features, darker skin, and a head of strikingly blonde hair, tied back in a tight ponytail. But her most notable feature by far was the pair of piercing red eyes. It was a trait that marked her as what she really was, a living mystery: one of the ancient Sheikah tribe. And although many of the guards had never seen a Sheikah before, they all recognized one and new the significance of one's presence.

When the large double doors opened, a stout man with a thick head of brown hair and mustache wearing deep orange robes with symbols of the Triforce embroidered on the sleeves looked up at the Sheikah. "You've come," he said urgently. "Come inside, please, out of the wet. We will see to your horse. Marko." He gestured to one of the boys waiting by his side patiently. Marko took the white horse's reigns, guiding him across the courtyard toward the Castle stables. The Sheikah wordlessly followed the older man inside.

"My name is Rauru," he said once the doors had shut behind them with a loud, echoing bang. "I'm the castle steward." When the Shiekah said nothing in response, he nodded a little anxiously. "I will lead you to the King. He is waiting in the inner courtyard."

They walked through the spacious hall, and the Sheikah gazed around with no real expression on her face. The ceiling was covered in elaborate relief work depicting the Golden Goddesses' creation of Hyrule, along with the heroic and selfless conquests of Hylia. It was truly a masterpiece that went largely unseen by most of the population.

When they entered the courtyard, it was teeming with life. To either side of the pathway, flowers from all over the world blossomed in abundance. Insects of various kinds fluttered and buzzed about the Sheikah's head that she'd never even heard of before. Small streams flowed between the flowerbeds to a central pond, where right in the middle rested a small, covered pavilion. Beneath the shelter from the rain sat King Daltus himself, eyes glued to an old leather-bound book. He was still a young man, not yet married. His hair was a light brown and facial features rather bulky. He wore a garment of red and gold, and the symbol of the Triforce hung around his neck.

"Your Highness," said Rauru, "you have a visitor."

The King looked up. "Yes, I see." His voice was rather elegant, yet with an underlying hint of ruggedness. "Thank you, Rauru. Will you stay for our meeting?"

"Certainly, Your Highness," said the steward.

King Daltus looked at the Sheikah somewhat expectantly. "Who might you be?"

The Sheikah stepped forward, bowing at her waist. "Your Highness, I am the shaman of Kakariko Village, the residency of Sheikah just on the outskirts of Hyrule Field," she said with an incredible formality. "My name is Impa."

The King's eyes narrowed for the briefest of moments. "No doubt a family name."

Impa straightened again, red eyes revealing no emotion. "It is shared with my ancestors." She folded her hands behind her back.

"Have a seat," said the King, gesturing to both the Sheikah and his steward. They walked across the flat bridge and took seats across from the King. "You must be young for a Kakariko shaman."

"Not at all, Your Highness," said Impa. "Sheikah live for hundreds of years. We age and mature accordingly. Although I may appear a twenty-year-old, I have lived for nearly sixty Hylian years now."

"How fascinating," said the King. "Are there many of you in the village?"

"The Sheikah prefer a secretive lifestyle," said Impa. "I'm sure this is why we have adopted the name of the Shadow Folk from your citizens."

The King's eyes glinted in the dim lighting. "Anyhow," he said after a small pause. "It appears Rauru's message reached you in good time."

Rauru nodded. "Yes. I'm glad the symbol of the owl has still held its place in this era. Thank you for coming."

"Anything to serve the family of our Goddess," said Impa. Her voice, although still stoic on the surface, contained the slightest hint of malcontent. Even though the Sheikah lived to serve the Royal Family and protect the mortal forms of the Goddess Hylia, their oath to secrecy and discovering the truth often revealed information that painted the mortals a darker color.

"Shall we cut to the chase?" said Rauru, sitting forward. "Impa, I'm sure it's no secret, the rumors floating around Hyrule." When Impa remained silent, he continued. "Many have become...displeased with Hyrule's position in the land."

King Daltus looked at Impa. "Although we have done everything we can to serve our people." Impa's expression didn't flicker. "I'm sure you are well-versed in Hylian history."

Impa nodded. "My people have been around longer than the Hylians."

The King smiled. "I'm sure. In fact, they were a key factor in Hyrule's salvation."

"It wasn't Hyrule at the time," said Impa.

After a terse moment, Rauru spoke up. "What we are trying to say is that the Sheikah were a great help when we were in peril before. And now, our land might be in danger once more. After His Highness announced his motion to unify all of Hyrule under the Royal Family, including the Goron settlement, there has been endless talk about rebellion."

"I've heard," said Impa.

Rauru shifted slightly, unaware of what to do with the Sheikah's nonchalance. "We are afraid that the humans who occupied this land before the Hylians descended might join forces with the opposing side."

"They call themselves the Dinerats," said the King, "most likely as a reference to the Goddess who created the land."

"For fear of receiving a distasteful name from those who oppose us," said Rauru, "we've coined a term for our followers. The Adventaries."

"Those who believe and venerate the coming of the Goddess," said the King.

Rauru continued, "It has become clear to us that many do not see Hylia as a savior, but as an abandoner. That she only selected a few to be her chosen, and the rest were left to suffer on the ground. They make no acknowledgement of all she went through for the salvation of Hyrule."

Impa nodded. "What exactly is their quarrel?"

"They do not wish to serve under one kingdom," said King Daltus.

"Are there benefits to doing so?"

"Certainly. I plan to let every province maintain its current status, just to pledge fealty. They'll of course gain military and financial advantages, save for a bit of tax come our way. It's practically a benefit in every way."

"They only oppose," said Rauru, "because the Royal Family is Hylian."

Impa nodded, pondering to herself for a moment. "So the Dinerats consist of humans, Gorons, and Zoras." The two men nodded. "What about the Gerudo?"

For a moment the men said nothing. After a displeased look, the King finally said, "What about them?"

Impa looked at the King long and hard. If anything revealed what she was thinking, it was those bright red eyes staring for an indefinite amount of time at their victim. Eventually, she said, "They're Hylian too, no?"

Rauru shifted uncomfortably while the King returned Impa's hard gaze.

"They were once something entirely different," said King Daltus. "Now they have become some kind of hybrid race. It is not our say whose side they will choose to take."

"There are no non-Hylians on the side of the Adventaries then?" said Impa.

"I'm sure there are," said Daltus. "But the point of this meeting is not who is on each side, but that there are even sides at all."

Impa held the King's gaze. "Yes. You are informing the Sheikah of the looming possibility of a civil war."

The King seemed to tense at the comment, jaw clenching. "It is one I am rather reluctant to admit."

Impa nodded. She looked to Rauru, who had been nervously and idly wringing his hands. "Is your military prepared for war?"

"That is the idea," said the steward with an anxious laugh. "But what country is prepared for civil war?"

The Sheikah nodded again. "As you may be aware already, Kakariko and the Sheikah tribe will fight by the side of the Royal Family at any cost."

"That is what we like to hear," said the King, standing up. "It is good to know that in these trying times we still have a constant ally."

Impa and Rauru stood as well. The King excused himself from the courtyard, leaving the steward to guide their guest out of the castle. But Rauru turned to the Sheikah, voice lowered.

"Impa," he said quietly, "I realize there is danger stirring in our land with all this talk of rebellion. But there is something else much deeper occurring."

Impa, standing a foot taller than the Hylian, looked down at him. "Something is awakening. I believe I've noticed as well."

Rauru nodded vigorously. "Yes, I imagined you would, being the shaman of your people. I have been reluctant to speak directly to the King about it, since the rebellion has weighed more on his shoulders than he lets on."

Impa was quiet for a while, before lowering her voice as well. "The land itself is reawakening," she said. "Something is approaching, and the first signs of its coming have already revealed themselves."

"I agree," said Rauru, "and I believe you are the first."

Impa knew what he was referring to; her name was no coincidence considering the Sheikah tradition of naming. Being a tribe of truth-seekers, newborns are not "named" until the name is discovered through the Lens of Truth. Often the name is not known until the child has developed cohesive sentence structure in its thoughts. Impa's name was seen the first time her mother used the Lens, a few days after her daughter's birth.

"My name," said the Sheikah.

"You bear the name of the ancient Sheikah who assisted Hylia in her quest to save Hyrule. We mustn't overlook this obvious sign that she is returning. It is the ideology of our people!"

Impa shot Rauru a somewhat stern look. "I'd be careful what you claim, steward." With that, she fastened the cloak around her shoulders and turned on her heel to leave.


	11. The Reawakening Pt 5

**A/N: I would like to thank Skyrim and the Shifting World series by Philippa Ballatine.**

WHEN GANONDORF ENTERED the castle five days later, his whole torso was in a constant state of aching. He would have noticed the relief work all over the grand entrance hall if he hadn't been concentrated on walking forward and not falling on his face. There was a new determination about him to represent the Gerudo in a formidable way, to impress not only the King but the people of Castle Town. The Gerudo guards were not allowed to accompany them inside the castle, so it was just the three of them following a young Hylian named Marko. He led them down a wide corridor off to the left of the hall, into a small room lit with dim candlelight and occupied by several guards. There was a large table with a map of Hyrule in the center of the room, small flags placed in certain spots. Racks of weapons lined the walls, as well as lockers for the knights. Behind the table stood a tall, handsome man with dark brown hair and wearing a knight's armor. He looked up at the visitors with a pleased smile.

"Ah! There you are!" he said cheerily, and Ganondorf narrowed his eyes. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" He walked forward, around the table. "Koume and Kotake Dragmire." Holding both their arms, the man kissed them on the cheek. The women smiled, but said nothing.

Ganondorf was appalled at such blatant behavior of informality. But he too held his tongue.

"And you must be Lord Ganondorf," said the knight. He stood before the prince and bowed slightly. "My name is Commander Vincent of the district Erudone. It's a pleasure to meet you." He straightened and held out a hand. Somewhat puzzled, Ganondorf took it with a firm shake.

"The pleasure is mine," he said emotionlessly.

"You must tell me," said Vincent a little quietly, leaning in closer to the prince. "What is it like being an eighteen-year-old prince in a territory of mostly..." He paused, eyes glinting curiously. "Shall we say, pansexual women?" He grinned.

Ganondorf stared, eyes wide. The stereotypes attached to the Gerudo in this place were quite astonishing. After a confused moment he said, "Oh, I... It's nice."

Vincent let out a bellowing laugh, clapping Ganondorf on the back. "I imagine so. And with this beautiful woman as a mother, it's hard to imagine you have difficulty with the ladies." Ganondorf only chuckled smilelessly. "Right then. I suppose you are wondering why you aren't looking at the King right now."

"It crossed my mind," said Ganondorf.

"Well." Vincent clapped his hands together, walking around to the other side of the table. "We have some political issues to discuss before your viewing. I'm sure Azaroon has filled you in."

Ganondorf wanted to smack this man for speaking so informally about high status citizens of the Gerudo. "She did speak of the talk around Castle Town."

"All of Hyrule, in fact," said Vincent. He gestured to the map on the table. "We've sent scouts to nearly every corner of the country to determine where allegiances lie, save for the Gerudo Desert of course, since no one can traverse those sands without the help of a native. The red flags indicate those who oppose the King, and the gold flags represent those who support unification under one banner. As you can see, the country is rather divided in the issue." He pointed to the area known as Zora's Domain. "The Zoras kept quite the isolated existence until we announced our plan for unification. After Faron's Hurricane, they believed the flooding to be a sign that the region belonged to them and them alone, so they are rather reluctant to share." He moved north to point out Death Mountain. "Death Mountain has become home to a settlement of Gorons, from our northern neighbors of Goronia. The colony has grown rather immensely into a city, and all we ask is that the region become an official province of Hyrule. But the Gorons are determined to remain tied to their homeland and do not wish to pledge fealty. There are, as you see, several districts of that city that are for unification, but the majority lies with the opposition."

Kotake held out a hand, interrupting Vincent's stream of explanations. "May I ask why you are telling us this?"

Vincent stopped, smiling at the Gerudo. "It is vital for our western neighbors to know the facts before making a life-changing decision."

Ganondorf's jaw set. Now he understood. He understood why Hylian knights were position at the ready all around them, why they had been taken here first, before entering the presences of the King. They wanted to make sure the Gerudo were indeed allies before risking King Daltus's life to these "thieves."

Vincent smiled, no warmth in his eyes. "The Gerudo warriors, although isolated as you are, have an incredibly prominent military standing," he said. "Our future courses of action heavily depend on where you stand with this issue."

Koume stepped forward. "What if we choose neither side?"

"I advise otherwise," said Vincent. "There are many disadvantages to abstaining from participation in a war directly on your doorstep."

"You believe war is coming?" said Kotake.

Vincent looked at her, a rather sly smile on his lips. "I guarantee it."

Ganondorf's brow furrowed slightly. His heart had begun pounding furiously, the ache in his chest growing stronger.

Koume leaned forward toward Vincent, saying in a hushed tone, "He is only a boy, Commander. You are really asking him to speak on behalf of his people?"

The room began spinning.

"He will be your leader in a matter of years, will he not?" said Vincent. "We must know now where his loyalties lie."

At that moment, the door to the tactics room opened, and the castle steward entered. "Commander, Ambassador Azaroon wishes to enter."

Ganondorf stumbled backward, slamming his back against the wall as his face contorted in pain. Koume and Kotake had rushed over to hold him, but he barely noticed. As soon as his eyes shut, all he could see was blackness, and an immense, burning wall of flames.

* * *

><p>When Ganondorf opened his eyes, he was on a comfortable bed mat in a warmly-lit room. A wonderful aroma of incense flowed around him, and he sat up cautiously. His robes had been removed, and his chest was bare. When he looked down at it, he could see multiple wounds where he had been clawing at himself viciously. But between the scabs were faintly pulsing black veins, as if his blood had turned to tar in in his chest.<p>

"How are you feeling?"

Ganondorf looked around to see a younger woman seated at the far end of the room. She had golden hair and fair skin, and was wringing a rag in hot water.

"Fine, I suppose," said the Gerudo.

The girl smiled. "Good. You were unconscious for quite some time." Her voice was soft and sweet, like flower petals. She stood, bringing the warm rag over to Ganondorf. Kneeling beside him, she pressed the rag to his chest. He inhaled at the sting, but it soon soothed the pain.

"Thank you," he said quietly. He watched the girl rub the wet towel across his chest, blonde hair tucked behind her pointed ears. His eyes slid down the curve of her neck, across her breasts, and down the slim length of her arm to the hand on his chest. She was an image of purity to the Hylians, a sweet young girl who not only resembled their precious Goddess in appearance, but also had soothing hands and a knack for healing and aromatherapy. Ganondorf was the opposite, an image of mutation and ruggedness with his dark and calloused skin. She was innocence and beauty. And all Ganondorf wanted in the world at that very moment was to destroy that image. He wanted to force himself upon her until she was no longer a sweet girl but a soiled, imperfect, and entirely ruined thing. It was her radiant innocence that made him want her all the more fiercely.

The girl looked at his chest, tracing the black veins with the wet rag. "I don't know what it is," she said. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's not the first time it's happened," said Ganondorf. "Once when I was a boy, they appeared."

"Does it hurt?" she said.

"No," said Ganondorf. The girl lifted her other hand to touch a vein with her delicate fingers. The Gerudo inhaled, tensing every muscle in his body so not as to pull her against him.

"Sorry." The girl pulled her hand away with a nervous laugh just as the door opened and Koume and Kotake entered in a flustered hurry.

"My boy," said Koume, kneeling beside the prince. The girl stood, straightening her skirts. Koume's face was ragged with worry. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Mother, I'm fine," said Ganondorf. "What happened?"

"We were hoping you could tell us," said Kotake. "After you began attacking yourself, you seemed to lose all consciousness. It wasn't long before you passed out, and we took you to the castle infirmary."

"You were out three days," said Koume.

Ganondorf looked down at his chest. "I have no idea what came over me." He glanced up at the girl, who was watching while she rinsed the rag.

Kotake stood. "You, girl, please give us a minute alone." The girl nodded, making a hasty exit.

"Ganondorf," said Koume quietly, "I know this was a lot to learn. You're barely a grown man and the King of the Hylians wants you to side with him in a possible war. It's too much for a young prince."

"Do not underestimate me, Mother," said Ganondorf. "I am aware of and accept this responsibility as future King of the Gerudo."

Kotake smiled, but Koume only looked concerned. "You don't become King for another seven years."

"Perhaps it should be sooner," said Ganondorf. "I know I am still young but I am the prince of the Gerudo. I am supposed to bring prosperity to our people. Wouldn't you want that sooner rather than too late, after a war has desecrated our people?"

"He has a valid point," said Kotake.

"You both forget who the ruler here is," Koume snapped. The red jewel atop her forehead glinted in the candlelight. "I will ultimately decide what is best for our people."

Ganondorf said nothing. He never thought he would wish to become King earlier than anticipated. But something stirred his thoughts, as if something were reawakening within him.


	12. The Reawakening Pt 6

**A/N: Agh, a little late. I blame finals and personal life stress. ANYWAY big chapter *waggles eyebrows* Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>NABOORU FIDDLED WITH the sentry flag above her head, eyes gazing at some unknown point in the distance. She had noticed a lingering distance growing between Ganondorf and herself, which was inevitable. He had started spending more time in his sorcery lessons with Kotake in the palace, rediscovering a keen interest in magic. It only meant that he spent less time at the Fortress, where his sword training took place. Nabooru was annoyed at her slight feeling of disappointment. She knew she shouldn't care where Ganondorf's feelings lay, especially considering his obviously careless treatment toward women. Still, every time she saw him whisk another pretty girl off her feet, to be taken to his bed that night, she felt a whole array of emotions, from sorrow to anger at herself. She found that training with her mother when the prince was in his magic lessons was a good way to channel these unwanted emotions.<p>

But this morning, Rumalia had told her to meet by the Fortress entrance as opposed to their usual training grounds spot. Nabooru knew that at any moment, the prince could be riding by on his beloved horse, possibly for a day of sword training. She wanted to wait and see if he would indeed come and simultaneously leave before she could. Her mother's approach interrupted her thoughts.

"Are you ready?" said the swords master.

"What for?" Nabooru said.

"I've got something to show you," said Rumalia. "Well, several things. But it involves a small trip across the Desert."

Nabooru's heart leapt slightly. She knew where they were headed. Most Gerudo were not allowed to set foot inside, save for the guards themselves. And, of course, the Chief of Military. It was a part of the initiation ceremony, to venture deep within the underground halls. "The Arbiter's Grounds."

Rumalia smiled. "I'm sure he'll be pleased to meet you," she added in a whisper.

Nabooru's eyebrows rose. She looked at her mother incredulously. "You mean… the Arbiter?" she said. "He's real?"

"Very real," said Rumalia. "And I am sure that you're aware of how confidential this information is. Not even our future king may know." She looked gravely at the young warrior. "It is a secret honor passed down from Chief to Chief, and if the tradition is broken, the Arbiter will leave this realm and no one will be left to guard the Void between realms."

Nabooru took a deep breath. She watched as Gerudo sentries went about their business, unaware of the wondrous secrets being passed from Rumalia's lips.

"Do you accept this honor, Nabooru?" said Rumalia.

"Of course," said the Chief-in-training. "But I don't understand. I thought I was only allowed to set foot inside the Grounds when I was to become Chief."

Rumalia's face set slightly, an expression of concern on her face. "Things are changing, Nabooru," she said. "Things are being set in motion that would normally take years. This is an exception that must be made."

After a moment, Nabooru nodded. Her heart was pounding in excitement and apprehension. "Let's get going then."

During the trip across the sand, all thoughts of Ganondorf left Nabooru's mind. She skillfully guided her horse through the edges of the city and then across the Desert toward the distant building. The Grounds always seemed to be shrouded in a cloud of sand, just enough so that the entire building had a ghostly pall to it when looked at from the city. The sand got so thick in the air as they neared that the guards of the Grounds had to guide them the rest of the way. Nabooru wondered if they knew of the Arbiter's existence. It was somewhat of a frightening children's tale to get them to stay within the law. The Arbiter was a terrifying spirit from the realm of evil itself, and you would be at his mercy if you did not make your bed every morning. Nabooru never believed it based solely on the fact that he was depicted as a man. Even now, as the looming structure came into clearer view, she wondered if this was some sort of elaborate prank. But Rumalia's stern expression as they dismounted, leaving the guards to tend to their horses, told her otherwise.

Nabooru gazed up at the building before her. Leading up a tall set of steps was the prison itself, where the spirits of the damned were sentenced to death. It loomed over them like a dissatisfied mother, watching her child's every move.

"This will not be an easy task, mentally," Rumalia said suddenly. "People are left to die here, with no further thought."

"I'll be okay," said Nabooru. But her heart pounded and her palm grew damp.

They made their way up the steps, where two guards pulled at a pulley of chains until the massive stone doors opened. What could only be the smell of death seeped outside, and Nabooru scrunched her nose in distaste. Without further hesitation, mother and daughter stepped inside and the doors banged shut behind them.

The interior of the prison was dark and dank, lit only by a few large candles lining the walls. There were no cells like in the temporary prisons in the city; instead chains attached the walls themselves still held tightly to the decayed corpses of prisoners, as if the shackles had been fitted to the bone itself. There was a crumbling statue directly before them, and two staircases on either side leading to a higher floor of separate chambers. To their sides were also two staircases that led down into the depths of the prison.

"He is waiting for us," said Rumalia. "Come."

As the two descended into the Desert itself, Nabooru stayed close to her mother's side. "So why is this exactly…necessary?" she said quietly. "I mean, why reveal himself to a select few in the first place?"

"The Arbiter does not help us out of kind and selfless generosity," said Rumalia. "When the Gerudo first settled here, the Desert was filled with horrible and demonic spirits. They plagued our homes, our children, our dreams. We needed a place where we could banish them, without unleashing the realm of evil on our new home. We needed help, preferably from someone who knew her way about evil spirits." Rumalia paused, turning to face her daughter. "You must understand that we were desperate, and went to any means necessary to vanquish this evil."

Nabooru looked at her mother in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well who do you think would know evil in all of its ways?" Rumalia said. She continued walking again. "We needed help from evil itself."

Nabooru looked up at where they had arrived. Before them stood an incredibly massive mirror, from corner to corner of the wall. The light was rather dim, so the women could barely see themselves. But Nabooru felt a strange sense of dread as she saw her vague reflection. Disembodied voices fluttered throughout the chamber, whispering and giggling unintelligibly.

"Mirrors, Nabooru, are some of the most powerful sources of magic in this world," said Rumalia. "You could take the most well-mannered woman and have her look into this mirror, and see a cruel, heartless hag gazing back. Every source of good in this world has its mirrored opposite, and the only way to trap that opposite is in a mirrored world."

Rumalia paused, motioning for Nabooru to watch the mirror. Behind them stood a crumbling statue, similar to the one from the entrance hall. Suddenly, in the reflection, the statue began to move. Startled, Nabooru spun around to watch it. But to her surprise, it had remained lifeless.

"Watch," said Rumalia, turning her daughter to face the mirror again. In the reflection, the statue gradually mended itself, regaining the form of some kind of armored sentinel. The pieces of its body floated in midair as its stony eyes came to life, watching the women from within the mirror.

"Hello, Arbiter," said Rumalia with a joyless smile. Nabooru wanted to steal a look behind her, but she knew she wouldn't find anything.

The Arbiter's stone body cracked as he turned to look at Nabooru. When he finally spoke, nothing physical indicated it was indeed him. The voice was deep and ancient.

"You are frightened."

Nabooru swallowed, throat dry. She looked to her mother, who said nothing in reassurance. Nabooru cleared her throat. "You are frightening."

The Arbiter simply looked at her for a moment. "You are young."

"You are in a mirror."

Suddenly the voices swelled in giggles, and Nabooru hoped they reflected the Arbiter's emotions.

"And yet to me, you are the one in a mirror," said the reflected statue. "Rumalia, is it truly time for your retirement?"

"The day is approaching swiftly," said Rumalia. "Things are changing for the Gerudo. I hope this does not upset you, Arbiter."

The stone head, resembling that of a stern-faced warrior, turned to face Nabooru again. "You have many questions."

Nabooru's heart pounded. "I'm sorry?"

"Rumalia has not told you the full truth."

Rumalia stepped forward. "I did not want to overwhelm her."

"You are sentimental," said the Arbiter, but nothing revealed anger in his voice. "You are correct in saying that change is coming, and it will indeed affect the Gerudo. She should know the circumstances of her fated situation."

Nabooru clenched her fists. "Then tell me the full truth."

The Arbiter was silent for a moment, gazing at Nabooru with empty eyes. "You believe I am some terrible evil, do you not? You see me across a mirror and assume I am the ruler of an evil realm, controlling these spirits out of pity for your people. But tell me, what kind of evil spirit would display pity?"

Nabooru glanced at her mother, who looked a mixture of regretful and scared, if at least for her daughter.

"You are too young," she said quietly. "I never wanted this."

The Arbiter continued over her. "The Gerudo needed to enslave the spirits of the Desert in a realm of darkness. But the darkness would not accept them without a price, a sacrifice. The spirit of their king."

Nabooru gazed at the statue in shock. "What are you saying?"

"The Gerudo people, in order to banish the spirits they declared evil, sacrificed their king to the Void between realms," said the Arbiter. "But the darkness was a greedy house of tricksters, and with this sacrifice came a horrible curse. They unleashed unto the Gerudo the Curse of Kings."

"You were the king," said Nabooru in disbelief. "The curse that was cast by an evil witch…it was all our doing. We took over a land inhabited by spirits—"

"They were evil," said Rumalia. "They wouldn't coexist with our ancestors."

"That gives us no right to banish them," said Nabooru. "Let alone sentence our own king to an eternity of…"

"I protect this Desert from the spirits, eager to escape and wreak havoc on the Gerudo," said the Arbiter. "I guide the souls of those you condemn to the Void, for it is my duty to do as my people wish. But I am also aware that this truth is not an easy one. You have handled it well, and surely understand that if my existence is made known, there will only be pain."

Suddenly one of the statue's arms crumbled, falling to the ground. Nabooru jumped, brow furrowing, but Rumalia was the one to speak up. "What's happening?"

The Arbiter's voice came in some kind of double-tone, one normal and the other screaming in agony. "Change is coming… The darkness is screaming…"

Nabooru heard the millions of voices start chattering in hushed tones, filling the whole chamber with white noise.

The Arbiter continued, while sections of his stone body turned to dust. "Destiny returns to the land of Hyrule… The cycle continues… Darkness reawakens…"

"Arbiter!" Rumalia cried before the remaining pieces of statue disintegrated. The two women turned swiftly, only to find the once lifeless statue now a pile of dust.

"What happened?" Nabooru said, voice laden with fear.

"Something horrible is coming," said Rumalia, shaking uncontrollably as she gripped her daughter's arm. "The Arbiter is gone… We must get back to the city."

The two of them hurried outside of the prison, calling for the guards to ready their horses. On the ride across the Desert once more, Nabooru felt a large stone settle itself in her chest. She was breathing heavily, overcome with fear not only for her people, but for all of Hyrule.


	13. The Reawakening Pt 7

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reading, and especially reviewing! I'd like to thank Lord Darth Yoda for giving me the idea of the Spirit Temple, although I did tweak it a bit. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter of the Reawakening :P**

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><p>GANONDORF STOOD BEFORE the Spirit Temple, fists clenched in determination. The large stone sculpture, carved into the wall of the mountainous exterior of the temple, depicted the Goddess of Sand, also known as the Mother of the Gerudo. The prince didn't take much time to admire her, mainly because he saw the statue nearly every day during his training at the Fortress. Although the temple was many lengths away from the Fortress, a small oasis between the two, the colossal statue was large enough to be admired by the few sentries and warriors who worshipped the goddess.<p>

Ganondorf saw no beauty in a goddess that confined him to the Desert. He loved his home, but this goddess was already dying in the eyes of even her children, with only few real worshippers left. But the temple was still a significant place for the Gerudo, if more for tradition than anything else. The eager prince saw new opportunity in the sandy old temple, seeing as it now stood as his gateway to becoming king.

Now, only months after his time in Castle Town, Prince Ganondorf stood before the Spirit Temple entrance with nearly the entire Gerudo city surrounding him. Koume and Kotake stood directly behind, along with an attendant holding a folded, heavy black and red cape with a large golden circlet resting on top in her arms. The four of them stood on a platform before the temple, while the citizens of the Gerudo crowded around in eagerness.

Before Ganondorf stood a decorative table, on which sat a shield. Koume stepped forward in front of her son and lifted the shield. She held it up to her citizens revealing its mirrored surface with the Spirit sigil in the center.

"Today, I pass onto you all a new beacon of hope," she said, projecting her voice so that each citizen could hear. But only her sister and only true confidante heard the anxiety in her voice. "My son Ganondorf will be the first king we have seen in one hundred years!"

The crowd let out a cheer and Ganondorf smiled to himself. Koume walked back toward her son, lowering the shield. "In order to pass the test of the Goddess of Sand," she said, voice still raised, "you must return the Mirror Shield to its rightful place within the Spirit Temple." Ganondorf took the shield in his hands, Koume still holding it at the top. "Once the shield has been placed, you will be crowned King of the Gerudo. May the Goddesses light your way." She let go of the shield, and the citizens cheered. But Koume's smile was sad as she said to Ganondorf, voice lowered, "You are still young. And although I am glad to see you taking responsibility for your people, know that I will always be your worried mother."

Ganondorf chuckled, sandy breeze billowing his shoulder-length red hair. "I will be fine." He turned and raised the Mirror Shield above his head, eliciting a loud cheer of excitement from his people. And with that, he turned to face the temple. Two guards hauled the doors open and Ganondorf stepped inside confidently, the shield resting on his left arm.

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><p>At that moment, in a square in Castle Town in the district of Falden, a small human girl with dark features and a dirtied face walked up to a storefront. One of the shopkeepers, a young human with light skin and brown hair, was sweeping the porch of dust when he saw the girl. She was watching him with wide brown eyes, lingering around one of the wooden posts supporting the store's awning. The Hylian stopped mid-sweep, watching her with equally curious eyes.<p>

Eventually the girl's eyes went to the apples and Deku pears stacked beneath the window, each for five rupees. The shopkeeper hesitated before leaning his broom against the wall. "Would you like to buy some fruit?" he said. The girl didn't say anything, but stared between him and the fruit. "Would you like an apple?" The girl nodded, and the shopkeeper pointed to the sign. "It's five rupees."

When the girl didn't say anything the Hylian sighed. "I can't give one to you." She stared. "You'll take a lot for…your family…" He heard his own words and let out another sigh. "Okay, okay." He stole a glance in the shop's window before reaching over and grabbing an apple. He handed it to the girl. "Now go."

But the girl put the apple in a small bag she had and stayed where she was.

"I can't give you more," said the shopkeeper.

"Hey!"

The two of them looked up as the store owner stepped out of the entrance. She was a plump older Hylian, wearing an apron similar to the shopkeeper's. "What do you think you're doing?" She swatted aimlessly at the girl.

"Stop," said the shopkeeper. "She's just a girl, let her have an apple."

"That's not your apple to give away, son," said the woman. She grabbed the girl's bag, who let out a shrill cry of panic. The shopkeeper stepped in front of her, pushing her away from the girl.

"Leave her alone."

The store owner gave him a stern look. "You get your hands off me."

The shopkeeper clenched a fist, breathing heavily. Before he could think, he grabbed a handful of apples and put them in the girl's bag. "Go and take those to your family."

The woman let out a shout of anger before shoving the human into a wooden post as the girl scurried away. "I let you work for me, and this is how you thank me?"

The shopkeeper said nothing as a group of armored Hylian guards approached the shop. "Is everything okay?" asked one sturdy-looking man.

"This little snitch thinks it's all fine to hand my good produce to the homeless brats," said the Hylian woman.

"They're starving," said the human. "And isn't it remarkably interesting how none of them are Hylian?"

One of the guards grabbed the man's arm. "We'll take care of this."

"How is feeding a starving child wrong?" said an onlooker, who had stopped shopping when the guards arrived. He was Hylian.

"You a Dinerat too then?" spat one of the guards.

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><p>Ganondorf walked up the steps, lighting the torches with a snap of his fingers. The temple had been much longer and darker than he had anticipated, but he had finally made it. Before him, engraved into the stone wall, were the words:<p>

_Here the Mirror's frame shall lay_

_In light reflect the night and day_

_To seal the years of rulers past_

_And bring a new dawn to us at last._

Beneath the script was a carved out section of stone where the Mirror Shield seemed to fit perfectly. He lifted it from his arm and turned it so the reflective surface faced outward. As he pushed it into its place in the wall, he glanced at his reflection in the flickering torchlight. To his utter horror, the image he saw was not of himself, but of a dark snarling beast with red eyes and a flaming mane. Ganondorf stumbled backward in shock, nearly knocking over a torch stand. His chest began aching.

But he couldn't stop now. The Mirror Shield was in place. Besides, it was probably the dim lighting and mild dehydration getting to his head. He set his jaw in determination and turned to leave the temple.

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><p>In a blurred frenzy, Falden Square filled with people chanting various phrases at no one in particular. The shopkeeper had been rushed away by the guards, and more were sent to calm the unruly crowd. But they were outnumbered, seeing as Falden was one of the poorest districts in the city. The citizens, mostly humans and hybrids, had formed an impromptu protest, and a wall of Hylian guards barricaded their way to Hyrule Castle.<p>

The Hylian store owner fled. She no longer cared about a few apples. The crowds were getting dense and a few people had already been lost under their feet. Many non-Hylians left as soon as possible too, but they were only a fraction of the disgruntled citizens of Falden.

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><p>Ganondorf banged three times with his fist on the Spirit Temple's doors from within, tradition for the crowning ceremony. They were soon opened and the bright sunlight nearly blinded him. The ache in his chest had settled into a strange sort of pressure, not so painful, but not ignorable. He stepped into the rising daylight, hearing the joyful cheers of the Gerudo people.<p>

"Prince Ganondorf has placed the Mirror Shield!" cried Kotake, eliciting more cheers. Ganondorf's brow furrowed momentarily, wondering what would have stopped him from placing the shield on the floor of the entrance hall and waiting a few hours.

"I'm so proud of you," said Koume softly, holding her son's face in her hands. She kissed his forehead lovingly.

The crowd quieted as the palace's high priest, a tall woman with darker skin and hair, lifted the golden circlet from the attendant's arms. She stepped over to where Ganondorf now got on one knee, head bowed.

"Ganondorf," said the priest, "I, a Priest of the Goddess of Sand, officially crown you King of the Gerudo." She placed the circlet on his head, a bright red jewel dangling on top of his forehead. She backed away for the new king to stand.

Kotake, smiling widely, cried, "I present to you you're new King!"

The Gerudo people cheered immensely, clapping their hands in the air and jumping out of excitement. A king was so rare in the Valley that even the small children understood the weight of such a day.

Ganondorf smiled, watching his people applaud his success. The attendant unfolded the cape she had been holding and walked behind the King, fastening it to his torso piece. When she stepped away, he cast the cape behind his right shoulder and grinned.

"My people," he called happily, "I will not disappoint you!"

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><p>At that very moment, in the frazzled chaos of Falden Square amidst the line of Hylian guards, a human girl dropped dead.<p> 


	14. War and Corruption Pt 1

**A/N: Sorry for the two-week delay. With the holidays, and then January semester starting up, I had to take a little break from this. Also, I'm not sure where this chapter fits, but it definitely does somewhere in War and Corruption. So if y'all have any thoughts, let me know!**

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><p>SOJA WATCHED THE entire city of Gerudo citizens gather beneath the palace balcony, eager to hear the new king's announcement. Never in her life had she dreamed of holding such a high position that she'd be standing next to the king himself, wearing beautiful silk robes of red and gold. She had been born into a servant's life, the life of her mother and grandmother before her. Her life in the harem no longer bore the duties of a loyal servant, and being the first choice of King Ganondorf, she was usually spoiled with magnificent dresses and foreign delicacies. She was certainly not complaining, but she often thought of her mother still cooped up in the servant's quarters, washing the clothes worn by her now royally important daughter.<p>

Soja remembered the day she saw the king with her own eyes. She had been bringing Lady Koume's dirtied robes to the bath house near the marketplace as the desert sun drifted below the dune-covered horizon. As a newly enlisted servant of the palace she rarely got to walk through the bazaar, and she loved the way the stalls looked at sunset, casting a blanket of gold over the adobe buildings. But she would always remember the way Lord Ganondorf's skin gleamed in that setting sun, the way his stunning red hair turned to fire in the gilded light. And of course, she would remember his golden eyes looking directly at her for the first time.

It wasn't uncommon to see Ganondorf wandering the streets, especially with the Chief of Military. But on this day he was alone, and brandishing a pair of strange Hylian swords. A rumor had been fluttering throughout the city that he took them straight from Hyrule Castle's armory, possibly without the smith's permission. A few young women had been returning from a day at the Fortress; they were clearly well-off, since higher class citizens generally had the funds to maintain a beautiful apartment within the city, instead of the free lodgings within the Fortress itself. The two women were laughing and waving their curved swords at each other, boasting their higher levels of warrior training. Sentries did not have swords, but spears.

When they saw the new king striding through the streets, they shut their mouths and sheathed their swords hurriedly. Soja, safe behind a mound of unwashed cloth, watched as Ganondorf's expression went from idle to mischievous.

"Warriors?" he said as he approached the women. A few heads turned at his passing.

"In training, milord," said one woman with straight hair that fell to her waist even tied up by a leather strip.

"Perfect." He drew one of the straight-edged longswords in his right hand, a grin about his lips. Although Soja and the rest of the middle class workers knew of Lord Ganondorf's reputation for informality among his people, she felt slight sympathy for the trainees whose expressions revealed the slightest hint of immense fear. Something was inexplicably unsettling about his demeanor, and Soja found herself staring in fascination.

The women glanced at each other in apprehension, and Ganondorf laughed. "Do you enjoy it?" he said, eyeing them curiously. Soja remembered seeing a hint of something else in the way he looked at them: too much hunger in the gaze of a twenty-year-old toward women in their thirties most likely. Soja herself was twenty that day.

"I enjoy serving my people," said the other woman, who had noticeably more Hylian features than her companion.

Ganondorf laughed again, shaking his head. "You've surpassed sentry training and it wasn't enough." He summoned the first trainee's sword from its sheath, using magic like he had been born with the ability to manipulate it. The woman's eyebrows went up as her sword floated through the air and into his empty left hand. "Clearly there's something about it that captivates your interest."

As the king admired the scimitar, the women seemed to relax. Soja watched as the first watched as she unsubtly eyed him in curiosity. "I like swordplay," she said.

Ganondorf grinned at her. "As do I." He spun the longsword in his right hand idly. "There's something elegant about our style of fighting."

"If I may, my king," said the second woman, "why do you have a Hylian longsword?"

Ganondorf lifted both swords in the air in front of them, encouraging her to examine them. "As elegant as the curved blades are," he said, "there's something much more powerful in the straight steel of a longsword."

Soja couldn't seem to help herself. Her mouth just opened in a response, saying, "I would argue that the true power lies in the wielder, no?"

She tensed as Ganondorf looked at her. She had completely stopped doing anything save for watching the scene unravel. And what really drew her in was how she itched to pick up one of those swords. Even though she'd been a loyal servant of the palace for as long as she'd been able to lift buckets of water, she spent most of her free time with swords.

Ganondorf smirked at Soja for a good moment before taking the first woman's scimitar over to where Soja stood in terror. His approach was slow, and although she was fairly concerned with how he would react, she felt her skin burn as she looked at him, and shivers curled down her spine.

"Come here, girl," he said.

Soja did not meet the king's eye as she walked around the stall's counter. Her heart pounded as she turned to finally look at him.

"What would a lowly servant know about sword fighting?" said Ganondorf curiously. His eyes seemed to scrutinize every single breath that Soja took.

"My mother gave me a practice sword, milord," said Soja quietly. "Said my father left it here before leaving the Valley. I've been practicing with it."

"Ever used a real sword?" said Ganondorf.

"Yes, milord. Several times. But I couldn't be a sentry, let alone a warrior. It's not in my blood."

"But if you're passionate about it…" Ganondorf twirled the scimitar in his hand before holding it out to her.

Soja swallowed a lump in her throat before laughing nervously. "Oh, no, milord, I couldn't—"

"Take it," said the king.

Carefully, Soja reached out and took the sword from the king's hand. As their fingers graced each other's, she felt her whole body increase in temperature.

"Let's see what you've got," said Ganondorf with a sly smile.

Soja shook her head. "I don't think…"

But Ganondorf was already backing up, relinquishing the heavy robes from around his shoulders and leaving his chest bare. He held his sword outward toward his opponent, left hand behind his back in a respectful bow. "By all means," he said, skin gilded gold from the setting sun, "show me what true power is."

As expected, Lord Ganondorf had parried and countered his way into a victory with his straight-edged blade. With a small laugh from the other sentries and the king himself, she was dismissed to finish her chore of clothes-washing.

The next day however, Soja received a knock on her door. She opened to see a well-dressed messenger of the palace court standing before her.

"Soja Diramine," said the messenger, voice rather dainty and soft. Gold makeup adorned her face. "Lord Ganondorf requests your presence tonight."

Soja hadn't quite known how to react, or even act in such a situation with the king. She had never before been with a man or a woman, and she certainly never considered herself as lovely as some of the other women in the palace.

The messenger, whose name was Niame, led Soja through the palace corridors until they reached a small dressing room on a higher floor. Inside were beautiful clothes Soja had only ever washed, and mirrors with large palettes of makeup before them. There was a small bath in one corner, with a curtain to shield it from view.

Soja was left to wash by herself, which she had never done in such luxury before. The sweet scents of cactus and Deku flowers filled the whole room as she cleansed herself in the hot water. Once she had finished, she wrapped her body in a smooth robe and Niame reentered.

"I'll be helping you dress," she said, and Soja was grateful for the aid. She had no idea how to make herself look presentable for the king.

After an hour or so of trying-on and discarding dresses, Soja found herself in a deep maroon dress with multiple strands of golden jewelry dangling from her neck, wrists, and ears. Niame coated her whole face in powdery makeup, sprinkling gold dust onto her cheeks and across her bosom. Finally, she pulled a sprig of vanilla from a small pouch and gave it to Soja.

"Place this down your dress and you'll be smelling wonderful all evening," she said with a small smile.

After another trip down the halls of the palace, Niame left Soja outside of the king's chamber. The servant girl took a deep breath, heart pounding in an array of emotions. She eventually lifted her hand and knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Opening the door quietly, Soja stepped inside. The room was dark, dimly lit by a few candles by the king's rather large bed. She saw him standing by the window, chest bare, and expression rather unreadable. But once he saw her, a smile adorned his lips. Soja was rather certain that in that moment, she had fallen in love with him.

Now, as she stood beside him on the balcony nearly a month later, she could feel every woman's eyes on her. She still didn't know what made the king want her above everyone else, but she was in no place to question his authority.

"People of Gerudo Valley," called Ganondorf once the citizens had quieted, "What happened to the lore of our ancestors? What happened to the pride we once had in our own mythologies? I say we bring the myth of Ganon to life once more, and celebrate his mighty deeds for the Desert People with a glorious feast." After a pregnant pause, he said, "Thus, I have a new decree. On the seventh day of Din's Harvest, we shall celebrate the Day of the Beast."

The people below the balcony raised their voices in agreement.

"The palace cooks will be preparing a wonderful dinner for the whole city," said Ganondorf, "but we will need your help. If we are to collect adequate resources to provide everyone with enough food, you all must contribute. Trade caravans will be sent to Castle Town to gather supplies. If anyone would like to volunteer to join the route, please speak to a palace attendant waiting before the courtyard. Thank you all, and have a wonderful Day of the Beast!"

With a cheer from his people, Lord Ganondorf turned and entered the palace. Soja caught a long look from the Chief of Military, Nabooru, before they followed suit.

During the following days, while preparations for the feast were made, Soja returned to some of her normal duties out in the desert crops. She and a group of other girls from the harem gathered cactus fruits and insects, along with decorative materials like feathers and amber stones. Some of the sentries were sent out to hunt for leevers, plantlike creatures that dwelled beneath the sand's surface and made wonderful dishes. While toiling in the sandy crop fields, many of the other women prodded Soja with questions.

"You must feel incredibly special," said one. "Does he ever talk to you, or is it all business?"

After a few giggles from the others, Soja shrugged. "He doesn't say much," she said. "I'm not really that special. He often sends me off when he's had enough."

"But you've been with him every night for a month," said another woman. "That's special in my book."

But the truth was, the king was much more secretive than Soja would have liked. She found herself waiting eagerly every night for his call, and often wondered if just one night he'd let her stay with him. But each time he tossed her away to sleep by himself. She knew she shouldn't be expecting much, but her heart broke a little every time she left his spacious chambers to return to the harem quarters.

The night before the Day of the Beast, as King Ganondorf rained kisses down her neck after finishing his business, Soja found herself drifting off. She awoke what must have been hours later since the sky was already paling with early sunlight, and she sat up quickly. Ganondorf had been awake already, back against the wooden headboard as he gazed out the window.

"I'm so sorry, milord," said Soja with a nervous laugh. She rushed to get out of bed. "I must have fallen asleep."

"It's okay," said the king quietly. He gave her a joyless smile. "You may stay."

Confused and yet happy, Soja crawled back beneath the covers. Hesitantly, she let her head fall on his shoulder. He did nothing to stop her as he turned back to the window.

At least an hour passed and Soja couldn't fall back asleep. She was about to get up and return to her own chambers anyway when she witnessed something she never thought would happen. Lord Ganondorf revealed his thoughts.

"I wasn't supposed to be this way," he said quietly, not looking at Soja. Another moment passed, and she dared not speak. "I was supposed to bring prosperity to my people."

"You will" Soja breathed. "You will make the best leader in all of Gerudo history."

Ganondorf looked at her, face expressionless. His words however were not. "What do you know?" he said, voice sounding somewhat sinister. "You know nothing about me. You're a lowly servant girl."

Soja swallowed, sitting up. "I'm sorry, milord, I didn't mean to—"

"Get out."

And with that, she got out of bed and wrapped a robe around her naked body. She left his room hurriedly, tears staining her cheeks.


	15. War and Corruption Pt 2

**A/N: Since I missed a week and then was late, here's an early update. YAY RHYMES. Also, I realized what was wrong, being that I have the Darunia chapter far too early in the story. I removed it for later, and made this the second chapter of W&C. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>One year earlier...<em>

LORD GANONDORF, THE Chief is here to see you," said the lone guard by the door.

"Let her in."

The throne room, as it was so regally called, was once full of Gerudo guards and tables topped with books and platters of food. The former Princess Koume had seen to it that the guards confined within the palace walls would never lack in comfort, providing them with cushioned chairs and basins of clean water. Lord Ganondorf held the same upkeep of the chamber for a while, although he did take to replacing the guards with prettily-dressed women from his not-so-secret harem. However, within the past few weeks, the King had taken to stripping the room of its former color and liveliness. It was now mostly barren, save for the weaponry adorning the walls and the red curtains falling from the ceiling all the way to the floor. And of course, he did not do away with the throne itself, ornate structure of gold and red positioned directly in the middle of the far end of the chamber. Three shallow steps led up to it, and a newly-placed crimson carpet rolled directly up to his feet. He sat straightly in the glorified chair, waiting patiently as Nabooru walked down the length of the room to a couple of paces before where he sat.

"My Lord," said the Chief of Military, getting to one knee and bowing her head low. Her sleek red hair was pulled back by a jeweled hair clip, and gold pigment shadowed her eyelids. The chamber doors' closing echoed throughout the stone room.

"What is it?" Lord Ganondorf said patiently.

Nabooru looked up but did not stand. "I have something of great importance to discuss with you, concerning the Gorons."

"Then discuss," said Lord Ganondorf.

"A unit of Goron soldiers has requested encampment within our borders," said Nabooru. She finally got to her feet. "I figured it would be best to come to you before making such an impactful decision."

Nabooru was right; allowing troops of the Dinerats to station themselves within Gerudo territory meant declaring a side. It wasn't a light decision, especially considering how heavily the Adventaries seemed to long for Gerudo assistance. General Vincent of Erudone, promoted recently to direct the Adventary army, had sent many messages with meeting proposals on declaring alliance with his forces, but Lord Ganondorf had ignored all of them. No such requests had come from the Dinerats, but the Gerudo King still had no opinion on which side deserved victory.

"May I make a suggestion?" said Nabooru, breaking Lord Ganondorf from his thoughts. There was a strange air of hesitancy, and a hint of distress about her. The King nodded. "This war will make it to our gates sooner or later. If we have no stance on the matter, both sides will view our territory as vacant. We could be expecting massive invasions from either one to claim our land."

"We will defend our territory, if it comes to that," said Lord Ganondorf.

"One Gerudo army against the entire forces of Hyrule?" said Nabooru. "We'd be conquered in no time."

"Perhaps we need a way to ensure victory," said the King, glaring at Nabooru with piercing gold eyes.

Nabooru's breath was coming more heavily as her hands curled into fists at her sides. "I don't know what you mean," she said, "but perhaps if you set aside your ego for one moment—"

"Perhaps I should find a new Chief of Military who knows how to hold her tongue," said Lord Ganondorf.

Nabooru's whole body seemed to deflate as a crestfallen expression covered her face. She turned her head down for a moment before looking back up at the man she once called a friend. "You've changed."

"I am a king, Nabooru," said Lord Ganondorf, voice lowering slightly. "I won't tolerate the disrespect of my subordinates."

"I wasn't trying to be disrespectful," said Nabooru. "But I've spent enough time with you to make me hope you might…" Her unspoken words fell into the ground like heavy stones as she watched the king's expression soften, only for a brief moment.

Eventually, Lord Ganondorf spoke again with a stern yet comprehending tone. "Your duty is to your king. I cannot let you speak to me like we are primary school playmates anymore."

Nabooru felt a hollow tightening in her chest and sting of tears that have yet to brim her eyelids. She swallowed her grief and nodded curtly, waiting for her king to dismiss her.

"I will send a message of my decision in the morning," said Lord Ganondorf, sitting back in his throne. "You may go."

As the Chief of Military turned and walked down the chamber floor's narrow carpet, Lord Ganondorf watched her closely. Something emptied out his chest with every step she took, and he closed his eyes with a slight sigh. The double doors closed with a soft boom.

_Your sentiment could be your downfall, Ganondorf_. The voice seemed to fill the entire room as the Gerudo opened his eyes. He couldn't physically see the strange entity, but he felt its presence within his mind's eye.

"She will not be a problem," said the king to the distilled air around him.

_I am aware,_ said Ganon. _In fact, I am sure of it. _Ganondorf didn't need to express his concern, mainly due to the fact that this entity had made its home inside his mind. _She is a threat to your rise in power._

"I already am in power," said Ganondorf. "How could she be a threat?"

_You do not see the bigger picture, my son. You have the Gerudo within your grasp, sure enough. But you are a king, a gift given once every century. You have so much greatness held within you—show the entirety of Hyrule that greatness._

Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, watching the double doors. "What's in it for you?"

The voice laughed deeply within his head. _I chose you for a reason, didn't I? _said Ganon. _Imagine all I could teach you, all I could _show _you if I could stand right beside your throne._

"Nothing would change," Ganondorf remarked. Another laugh from the voice.

_All right. Then with corporeal form, I will give you the one thing you've wanted from the moment you were crowned King. I will leave you. _Ganondorf's eyes widened slightly. _I will leave you to your own thoughts, never to speak with you again._

Ganondorf took a deep breath, the whole room losing focus for a moment. "How would 'showing the entirety of Hyrule my greatness' give you corporeal form?" he said quietly.

_The power of belief is strong in our world,_ said Ganon. _You get everyone in Hyrule to believe in me, and my power will manifest once again. Spread your grasp of leadership to all corners of the land and teach people the ways of Gerudo tradition and mythology. Let me into their homes and their thoughts…and you will be free of my presence._

As soon as the entity stopped speaking, the doors to the throne room opened slowly. A messenger had come to inform him of some meal with some important person, but Lord Ganondorf's thoughts were on any possible way to rid his mind of the ceaseless torment of another's presence. He answered the messenger absently and stood to leave the room.

_There is more, concerning your sentiment_. Ganondorf paused his gait, looking at the red carpet with concern. _The first step in this enterprise lies within your precious little city. You must kill the girl._

Ganondorf said nothing, for fear of the messenger thinking him mad. He straightened the clasp of his cape on his shoulder and strode confidently out of the throne room.

* * *

><p>The next morning Lord Ganondorf sent word to the Fortress concerning the Goron troops. He had spoken with his advisors, Mothers Koume and Kotake, and they came to an agreement that would be most beneficial to the Gerudo people. Working their way through Hylian royalty to gain more recognition would be in their favor; the Gorons were not to set up camp in their territory.<p>

As soon as the messenger was sent through the door of the war room, Lord Ganondorf turned to his parents. They were still so beautiful even in their daily garbs intended for work around the palace. The king placed his palms on the edge of the table where a map of Hyrule had been placed, much like in the tactics room of Hyrule Castle. He looked at Koume and Kotake inquisitively.

"I've been thinking about a promotion for you two," he said, breaking the silence that followed the door's closing.

"Promotion?" said Koume. "We're your advisors. Can we get any higher in rank?"

"I suppose it's not a promotion of rank, but of more significance to our newfound position in the war." Lord Ganondorf picked up a gold pennant by the side of the map, the color of the Adventaries. "I need eyes and ears that I can trust. That I have plenty of faith in to do a good job." He struck the pennant through the Gerudo Fortress on the map. "My idea was to have you two, a pair of very talented sorcerers, act as my private, personal scouts."

"Scouts?" echoed Kotake, a bit of annoyance in her expression. "How is that a promotion?"

"I said it was different from a rank promotion," said Lord Ganondorf. "And I know that with your powers over magic, you can find out secrets that none of the other scouts can. And there are discreet ways of transportation through the world. We are masters of stealth, being Gerudo."

Koume was biting her lip, and Lord Ganondorf feared they wouldn't accept the offer. He asked them to wait in the war room while he went to fetch a book from the library only a few lengths down the corridor. When he returned, he had it opened to a spell in his hands.

"The Flight of the Green Goddess," he said, placing the book on the table beside the map. The twins peered over it, curiously reading the somewhat complicated recipe. "It can grant any inanimate object the ability of flight, so it can carry you to your destination."

"And what do you expect us to do with this?" Kotake said, looking up at him. "Fly all over Hyrule atop a pair of…of brooms? To collect information and bring it back to you?"

"It doesn't have to be brooms," Lord Ganondorf said with slight aggravation in his tone. "But this, on top of the stealth spells in your repertoire, will make perfect spies of you both."

"Spies…" Koume was fiddling with a golden piece of jewelry dangling from her pointed ear. "It doesn't sound so bad, you know."

Kotake's expression was unreadable, as if she were thinking rather hard about the whole situation. Eventually she sighed. "All right. I suppose it will work. Who do you plan on appointing as your new advisor to replace us?"

Lord Ganondorf smiled at her acceptance. "I was thinking of having Nabooru be the new advisor, since she already has great skill in strategic planning as the Chief of Military."

Suddenly Ganondorf's chest throbbed with an intense, sharp pain. He clutched it with his right hand, flinching backward as if something had hit him. Nothing else happened, no voice in his head, but the message was clear. _I don't care what you think_, he thought.

Koume asked if he was all right, and he shrugged it off. "We should find a way to get this spell working," he said. "I want you in the field as soon as possible."

Kotake was reading through the spell when she spoke up, "Ganondorf, this spell is supposed to be for master sorcerers. It takes a massive amount of energy to cast it even once." She looked up at the king doubtfully. "I don't know if we'll be able to make it work."

"You are both fantastic sorcerers," said Lord Ganondorf. "If anyone can cast this spell successfully, it's you." He picked up another gold pennant from the side. "Besides, I need to gather information in a timely fashion, and the only way to do that is via flight. Our first little task will be to seek out the Gorons in the north who do not follow the rebellious Dinerats. We know there are a few, so your job is to figure out who they are and where. Maybe they can help us."

Koume and Kotake nodded, watching their king as he pinned the small flag right next to the red one below Death Mountain.


	16. War and Corruption Pt 3

**A/N: For those of you catching up, I realize my last addition was a little confusingly updated. I deleted a chapter and then posted one, so it looked like nothing had changed at all. So if this chapter doesn't make sense to you, go back and read the previous one. (: Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>WHEN WORD EVENTUALLY reached Castle Town that the Gerudo would be joining forces with the Adventaries, General Vincent of Erudone himself made a swift journey to the Desert. Lord Ganondorf was not at all surprised when he and a group of Hylian soldiers arrived at the city gates, and he gathered together a small council of Koume, Kotake, and Nabooru to meet in a moderately sized hall on the first floor of the palace. It had once served as a place for dining, but Lord Ganondorf had changed its purpose shortly after war was declared on the Hylians. Koume and Kotake stood vigilantly to the Gerudo King's right, while Nabooru hovered to his left. She and Lord Ganondorf had barely spoken since he dismissed her not long ago, and her eyes coolly watched the opposite wall.<p>

When General Vincent eventually marched into the meeting hall, he outstretched his arms in what could have only been empty jubilance, a wide grin on his face.

"My favorite Desert people!" he said, steel armor clinking as he walked through the grand entrance. His silent and emotionless soldiers followed, raising their helmet guards above their eyes. "You have no idea how overjoyed I was to hear of your assistance in this dreary war." Lord Ganondorf could hear the excitement in his contradictory words.

"Our lineage is mostly of Hylian descent," said Lord Ganondorf. "Perhaps it is time we work together."

General Vincent walked right past the king and kissed Koume and Kotake each on the cheek. He turned to Nabooru, smirking slightly. "And who might this be?"

"This is Nabooru, my military advisor as well as Chief in command to our soldiers," said Lord Ganondorf.

"_Very_ pleased to meet you," said General Vincent, taking Nabooru's hand and kissing it rather deliberately. Nabooru watched him with an idle smile and waited for him to return his attention to Lord Ganondorf.

"Have you come with specific matters to discuss?" said the king.

"Oh, come now," said General Vincent. "Am I not a visitor in your honorable home? Why don't we sit awhile, get to know each other. We are, after all, allies against our savage-like adversaries."

Lord Ganondorf raised his eyebrows. He smiled slightly at the eccentricity the general exhibited. "Very well. I can have a servant bring tea."

"Why so serious?" laughed General Vincent. "You there, girl, bring us the finest Gerudo wine in your cellar!"

The servant who had been standing vacantly in the corner of the room sprung to action as soon as the general spoke. She was soon back with a bottle of wine made of the cactus fruit found in the Desert and a whole tray of goblets. They all sat around the long table, the Gerudo on one side and General Vincent on the other by himself. His guards stood behind him in a haphazard semi-circle.

"Now," said the general after taking a long swig of wine and placing his goblet on the table. "I'm sure you have certain qualifications to explain, given your hesitancy on joining forces in the first place."

"That is correct," said Lord Ganondorf. He allowed the servant to pour him a goblet of wine but hadn't yet touched it. "It should be no secret to you that the Gerudo have always been treated…concerning within Castle Town's walls." The general nodded apologetically. "Do not think we will become great friends just because we fight for the same cause."

"And what cause is that?" General Vincent said. His eyes glittered in the light shining in from the arched windows, and Lord Ganondorf's narrowed at the prospect of being tested like this.

Nonetheless, he answered, "A unified Hyrule."

General Vincent nodded. "Under one king. I trust you've taken that aspect into consideration."

"It has crossed my mind, yes," said Lord Ganondorf. "And I hope you will find my qualifications acceptable. We are not fighting with the Adventaries for your High King, nor for your venerated goddess as the name of the alliance implies. We are simply fighting for unification."

"You do realize that by fighting for unification, you fight for King Daltus," said the general. He crossed his legs beneath the table, leaning back in his chair. "When we win this war, he will become your king."

Lord Ganondorf narrowed his eyes slightly, watching General Vincent's nonchalant posturing carefully. "I suppose that is necessary, yes. But I hope I can maintain the level of authority I currently have over my people."

"Sure, sure," said General Vincent, waving his hand in the air as if this were an obvious matter. "King Daltus would not downgrade your position in any way, save for the title. It's the same with all the other provinces of Hyrule. Chief Darunia will remain leader of the Gorons, King Zora De Bon the hundredth will still be leader of the Zoras. But you can't be a king under a king."

Lord Ganondorf ignored the general's obvious disrespect for the Zora King's lineage and nodded. "I can agree with that. But will the Gorons and Zoras maintain authority, even if they have so blatantly rebelled against King Daltus?"

"The High King has made it clear that no grudges will be held following the war," said the general a little disapprovingly. "He plans on keeping things peaceful between everyone. I guess that's what a unified Hyrule means, anyway." Suddenly General Vincent leaned forward, voice lowering as if to tell a big secret. "I think it has something to do with the rumor that's been going around Castle Town."

"What rumor is that?"

"The Queen is pregnant." General Vincent raised his eyebrows, a giddy smile on his face.

Ganondorf felt something push against his chest from the inside, as if something were trying to get out. It was a feeling he'd grown familiar with, and he made no outer indication of anything wrong. "Pregnant?"

"Indeed," said the general. "I happen to know that it's fact rather than rumor. And they've had doctors and apothecaries and alchemists of all kinds in to determine the baby's sex. They think it'll be a girl." He leaned back in his chair again. "Of course, it's not too significant. There have been plenty of princesses who were not the goddess's reincarnation, but it's always exciting to think about."

The pressure in Ganondorf's chest seemed to tighten. He made a mental note to ask Ganon about it later.

"Anyway, peace between the provinces will certainly make for a more unified Hyrule," continued General Vincent. "We just need to think of something to put the rebels in their place."

Lord Ganondorf nodded. "So I will still be in command of Gerudo Valley," he said. "Are there any conditions I need to take into account?"

"A general tax will be implemented," said the general. "Of course, for the betterment of Hyrule."

Lord Ganondorf smirked. He wasn't born yesterday, and General Vincent knew it. But neither of them said anymore on the topic.

The rest of the meeting was rather light, with no serious discussions about hard war tactics. Lord Ganondorf mentioned his plan to creep in on Death Mountain, and General Vincent nodded dismissively to his proposition. "We'll have it all in due time," was all he said. "But for now I think this session is ended. My men and I have been travelling for days and I think we deserve a long rest, don't you?" He drained his second glass of wine and stood, turning to his men to mumble something about how they should relax a little.

"There are guest rooms on the second floor," said Lord Ganondorf. "I can have a servant bring you there."

As the Hylians left the meeting hall following a petite Gerudo girl, Koume turned to her son. "That man is quite an odd fellow."

"I don't like him" said Kotake. "I never did."

"We have to get along with him," said Nabooru quietly. "He's the highest rank in the Hylian army. If we're to fight on the same side, we're to become acquaintances at least."

"He is right in that the discussion has ended though," said Kotake. "It's off to a nice warm bath for me." She and her sister exited the hall.

Lord Ganondorf looked at Nabooru after motioning for another servant to take the goblets and straighten the chairs. She left with the tray. Nabooru returned his gaze.

_No one is looking_, said a very faint voice inside Ganondorf's head. _It is the perfect time to strike._

"Death Mountain, then?" said Nabooru.

"The Gorons are easily the most…emotional opponent," said Ganondorf. "There are already many cracks within their people."

_Kill her._

"I thought I was supposed to be your new advisor," said the girl. The corners of her lips turned up ever so slightly.

"You are," said Ganondorf, returning the semi-smirk. "I was planning on telling you."

_Kill her._

"Do you have a plan?" she asked.

Ganondorf's was beginning to set with each word the entity within his mind spoke. "We might have some information regarding the status of Goron City," he said. _Kill her_. "It's still a young settlement, and the mountain had inhabitants before they came to Hyrule."

"You mean Kakariko?"

_Kill her_. Ganondorf's voice was clouding over with frustration. "No, Kakariko is at the base of the mountain. I think the previous mountain dwellers are"—_Kill her._ Ganondorf paused. "Somewhat extinct."

"How is that useful information?" said Nabooru.

_Kill her._

"Enough!" Ganondorf slammed his fist against the hard wooden table, feeling it splinter beneath him. He glared at the fracture with wide eyes, anger flaring his nostrils. Eventually he looked back up at Nabooru, who had taken a step back with widened eyes as well. "I'm sorry."

But Nabooru only stared at him for another moment, sad expression deepening, before she turned and left the hall.

That night Ganondorf did not want to spend alone. He ate a small meal with his parents in a private dining chamber (the Hylians were perfectly understanding and ate in a larger hall with many curious upper class Gerudo who had their sights set on bearing children), then he made his way up the stairs to his personal chambers. He called for a servant to send a woman to his room that night, any woman from the harem who would come. He waited by the window. "I will not kill her."

_You are weak._

"I am not weak."

_You allow your emotions to get in the way of your great conquest._

"Not my great conquest. _Your_ great conquest," said Ganondorf, brow furrowing as he stared at the moon glowing over the sandy horizon. "I will not kill her."

_If you will not kill her,_ said Ganon calmly, _then I cannot gain corporeal form._

Ganondorf rolled his eyes, sitting on the wide stone window sill and propping an arm across his knee. "I thought all I had to do to give you corporeal form was get all of Hyrule to believe in you. What does killing Nabooru have to do with any of it?"

_It is a test of your strength. If you cannot complete the task, then you are ill fit for the task ahead of you. You and I will be bound together forever._

Ganondorf stood, taking a few steps around the window, before letting out frustrated yell and slamming his fist against the stone wall. He pulled it back slowly, staring in shock at the crumbled stone.

_You are already unaware of your incredible, physical strength_, said Ganon. _Now you must match it with mental strength._

"Shut up!" Ganondorf shouted, bending over and clutching his chest. "Leave me alone!"

_Kill the girl, and you are one step closer to ridding yourself of me._

"I won't do it!" he yelled, hands raking through his lengthening red hair. "You cannot make me!"

Just at that moment, a beautiful woman opened the door to his bed chamber, a confused and mildly frightened expression on her face. "My lord?" she peeped, slipping in quietly. "Are you all right?"

Ganondorf let out an incredible roar of fury and lunged his open palm at the girl. A thick, deep purple ball of energy had begun forming in it, and as soon as his palm faced her, it released with an immense crackling sound, like lightning. The girl didn't make a sound, save for the dull thud of a lifeless body hitting the floor.

The air around Ganondorf felt dense and electrified, and the hair on the back of his neck prickled upward. He was breathing heavily as he watched the girl's slumped body, hoping beyond all reason that she would get up. After what felt like a never-ending, breathless second, Ganondorf walked over to her slowly and turned her body over in his arms.

Her dead eyes were paralyzed open, and purple-black lines covered her skin like veins. Ganondorf dropped her in horror, getting to his feet as his hands shook violently.

"I killed her…" he whispered.

He heard nothing from the being within him, save for a deeply malicious chuckle.


End file.
